Rs 90 lakh jewellery heist on Koppal outskirts

Pic: CCTV footage shows one of the miscreants alighting from the Mantralaya–Mangaluru sleeper coach bus on the outskirts of Koppal with the stolen bagKoppal: Some miscreants allegedly stole a bag containing gold jewellery worth Rs 90 lakh from a sleeper coach bus travelling from Mantralaya to Mangaluru on the outskirts of Koppal, police sources said.The incident took place on the night of March 11, when the bus halted for dinner near Tawa Punjab Hotel along National Highway 63. Police said the bag belonged to passengers Mohammed and Irshad, who were transporting the jewellery to Mangaluru.The accused are suspected to have boarded the bus during the halt and escaped with the bag while the two passengers were asleep.Preliminary investigation indicates that the alleged mastermind travelled from Sindhanur to Koppal in a sleeper coach bus, while three accomplices followed the vehicle in another car. It is suspected that the four jointly planned the theft and carried it out during the stop.CCTV cameras installed in front of the hotel captured the entire incident. Footage shows the suspects approaching the bus one by one, boarding it briefly, and leaving with the bag containing the jewellery.Police said they launched a search operation based on the CCTV footage and statements from passengers. Efforts are under way to identify the accused and track the direction in which they fled after committing the crime.The incident triggered concern among residents and travellers in the district. A senior police officer, on condition of anonymity, said teams were formed to trace the suspects and expressed confidence that they would be arrested soon.Police are expected to release an official statement on the incident later in the day.