Constable among 6 held for theft in native village

Haveri: Ina shocking case of betrayal and misuse of authority, the Hirekerur police have arrested six persons, including a serving police constable, for carrying out a well-planned theft in Haveri district. The incident took place in Hale Nidunegilu village of Hirekerur taluk.

The arrested accused have been identified as Raghavendra, Vijay, Mallesh, Kantesh, Nagesh – all natives of Bagalkote – and Pradeep Nayak, who was working as a car driver at the Hirekerur police station.

According to police sources, the theft occurred on the night of January 19 at the farmhouse of Mallanagouda Ishwargouda Patil in Hale Nidunegilu village. Patil had recently kept a large amount of cash at home for the construction of his new house.

Investigations revealed that the entire crime was masterminded by constable Pradeep Nayak, who is related to the village as a son-in-law. Using his local connections, Nayak collected detailed information about the victim’s house and finances. On the pretext of going for night beat duty, he allegedly shared the house layout and movement details with his associates.

Acting on his instructions, the gang broke into the farmhouse around 11.30 pm by forcing open the rear door. They escaped with around 90 grams of gold ornaments, half a kilogram of silver articles and nearly ₹5 lakh in cash.

After a complaint was filed, Hirekerur police launched an investigation. Suspicion arose when certain clues pointed towards inside involvement. Intensive questioning and technical evidence finally exposed the role of Pradeep Nayak.

All six accused have now been arrested and the stolen property has been partially recovered. Police officials said further investigation is underway to trace the remaining valuables and to check whether the gang was involved in other similar crimes.The incident has created shock among local residents, especially due to the involvement of a police employee in such a serious offense.