Police with the recovered valuables
The integrity of a private bus driver and the management of the transport company led to the recovery of jewellery worth Rs 1 crore, which was stolen from a jewellery shop in south Bangalore.
Bus driver Basavaraju, who reached the bus depot in Hosakote after shuttling between Bangalore and Mumbai, discovered a bag in the luggage carrier.
Checking its contents, he found that it contained gold ornaments, following which he informed the management and then the police.
On further verification, the cops confirmed that the bag contained loot stolen from Abhushan Jewelleries by Sohan Lal Khatri in Jayanagar last Friday.
Tale of the tapeKhatri, originally from Rajasthan, worked as a salesman in the showroom for the past three years before committing the theft. A massive manhunt was launched after CCTV cameras recorded him pocketing the valuables and leaving.
Khatri is suspected to have boarded the bus to Mumbai with the booty. When the bus stopped on the city outskirt for a tea break, he panicked and fled after noticing the police checking vehicles.
"Fearing that he would be caught red-handed, he might have abandoned the baggage in the bus and escaped. After the passengers got off at the last stop, Basavaraju found Khatri's bag and conveyed the information," the police said.
While the police heaved a sigh of relief after the valuables were recovered, efforts are on to trace Khatri.