Hosapete: In a swift operation, the Vijayanagara district police arrested three people, including a private bus driver and conductor, for their alleged involvement in a gold heist where a man posed as a police officer and stole gold ornaments worth Rs 61.25 lakh from a bus traveling from Vijayapura. The stolen gold, weighing 806 grams, has been recovered.According to the police, on the night of March 16, four jewelry designers handed over 806 grams of gold ornaments to be transported from Davangere to Vijayapura as a parcel for delivery to shops. The gold was handed over to the conductor Krishna. Around 12.30 am, conductor Krishna called one of the designers and said that as the bus neared Teligi in Harapanahalli taluk, two men stopped it and introduced themselves as police officers from the Davangere crime branch. Claiming the gold was being transported illegally, they seized the parcel and fled. Krishna also said that he was taken along in their vehicle, after which his phone was switched off. Growing suspicious, Kumar, one of the four designers who had booked the parcel, lodged a complaint on March 17. Acting swiftly, police launched an investigation under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Shrihari Babu and Additional SP Salim Pasha. Four teams were deployed to track down the suspects in Vijayapura, Shivamogga, and Davangere. Within 24 hours, the accused were arrested. The arrested individuals have been identified as bus driver Manjunath (39) from Shivamogga, conductor Krishna Lakkappa Lamani (26) from Haveri, and Nityananda Krishna Naik (33) from Davangere, who allegedly posed as a police officer. Apart from the stolen gold, police also seized three mobile phones and a car used in the crime. The operation was conducted by DYSP Venkappa Nayak, along with other officers. The SP commended the police team for their swift and efficient handling of the case.
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