a key accused within the case Mysuru gangrape case At least 4 sandalwood theft and smuggling instances have been linked within the area since 2019, with the newest instances being registered in January this yr, it has come to the fore.
The police at the moment are wanting into the potential of involvement of sandalwood theft gangs in different assaults and robberies in Mysore, which can have gone unreported as a consequence of concern among the many victims.
Bhupathi alias Keeri (24), a resident of Talvadi city in Erode district of Tamil Nadu, was arrested within the August 24 gang-rape case. Car with Tamil Nadu registration. A senior official stated that the seized sandalwood is price Rs 5.5 lakh. “He (police) was on the radar, but not for crimes against women. He was out on bail,” the official stated.
Earlier, in 2019, Bhupathi and an affiliate, Praveen Kumar, alias Thambi, 20, have been accused of stealing sandalwood bushes from sandalwood oil manufacturing unit and forest division premises in Mysuru on November 29 and December 1, respectively had gone.
In one other case registered final yr, Bhupathi together with Praveen is accused of stealing a sandalwood tree from the home of Chirag Mehta, a resident of Mysore, on the evening of July 9-10.
Bhupathi was linked to the 2019 and 2020 instances after his arrest this January. While he was granted bail on January 30 within the contemporary sandalwood theft and smuggling case, he was launched on bail on February 26 this yr within the three earlier instances.
An important clue that led to the arrest of Bhupathi and 4 different suspects from Tamil Nadu on August 28 – 4 days after the gang-rape of a scholar and the assault on his male good friend at Lalitadripura close to Chamundi Hills Road in Mysore – took a bus ticket for the journey. It was between Talvadi in Tamil Nadu and Chamarajanagar in Karnataka. Police sources stated the tickets discovered on the crime scene, the language the suspects spoke, and the cell tower info of the Tamil Nadu telephone used on the crime scene led the police to the suspects.
Bhupathi was a key hyperlink within the case, which led to the arrest of 4 others.
Police sources stated Bhupathi and one other particular person allegedly concerned within the gang-rape have been additionally concerned in sandalwood theft and smuggling instances.
“He would often come to Mysore and go to the banana market. His recent visit, when the crime was committed, was also in the market,” stated a supply.
Bhupathi and Praveen Kumar have been as a consequence of attend a courtroom listening to on August 27 this yr relating to sandalwood theft instances of 2019 and 2020.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
