Kochi: Four persons, including aides of suspected Lash-kar-e-Tayyaba operative Thadiyantavide Nazeer, were taken into custody on Sunday in connection with the Perumbavoor theft case in which a gang of eight members posing as vigilance officials “raided” a house and looted 60 sovereigns of gold and Rs 25,000 in cash.
Those in custody include Abdul Halim, Nazeer’s relative, who is an accused in the Kozhikode twin blast case. Two others including Ajims, one Shamnad and a local resident were also reportedly arrested.
Nazeer’s relative was arrested from Palakkad-Malappuram border and will be brought here only on Monday. “Their arrest can be recorded only after recovery of the stolen goods,” police said. They added that two of the accused were involved in Kalamassery bus burning case. Meanwhile, police is probing whether the gang looted the money for terror-related activities.
“The involvement of Nazeer’s kin is strengthening the possibility. Earlier, Nazeer and a local goon attacked a jewellery owner from Kizhakk-ambalam. However, we are yet to get solid proof. The four are being interrogated,” police said.
Some members of the gang even stayed near the victim’s house for the past two months and observed his routine closely before hatching a plan to rob him.
On last Friday, the eight-member gang came in an Innova car bearing 'For Registration' board at Parappuram Palipparambil Sidhique Abdul Rahman’s, 54, residence disguised as vigilance officers. Sidhique, a distributor of a milk brand, was then at a nearby mosque. The gang told his wife Rahna and children that vigilance had received a complaint regarding their “disproportionate assets” and started searching the house.
Though Sidhique came, he was made to stand in one corner of the house with the gang members took mobile phones from all of them. They then made off with 60 sovereigns of gold and Rs 25,000 in cash.
