Kolar: Kolar police have arrested seven persons, including the gang leader of the infamous ‘Monkey Cap’ gang, involved in highway robberies, breaking shop shutters, and stealing cash across various locations in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The gang had been active for over eight years, targeting more than 1,000 shops and causing panic among business owners.
According to various Kannada media reports, following a series of thefts in Kolar city, Superintendent of Police Nikhil B. IPS, along with Additional SPs Ravi Shankar and H.C. Jagadish, under the guidance of Kolar Sub-Division DSP M.H. Nagle, formed two special teams to track down the culprits.
Using CCTV footage and advanced technology, the police traced the accused to Sindhanur Bus Stand in Raichur district, where they were arrested. Weapons, masks, and three motorcycles used in the crimes were seized from their possession.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Rohit Giri alias Nepali (22), the mastermind of the gang, residing in Bengaluru; Bada Peer (19), a mechanic and a native of Hulluru village, Maski Taluk, Raichur district, but currently living in Bengaluru; as well as Riyan, Praveen Kumar, Vinod, and two minors, who were also part of the gang.
Investigations revealed that Rohit Giri had been committing thefts since he was 16. He lived in a cemetery in Sudham Nagar, Bengaluru, where he set up a small tent. To secure his hideout, he placed beer bottles around it as an alarm system—if anyone approached, the sound would alert him, allowing him to escape.
Rohit was known for his love of bike stunts and ‘wheeling’ at night. He and his gang would move from one town to another, conducting thefts in the early morning hours. They would break into shops, steal cash, and flee on high-speed motorcycles without number plates.
Over the past two months alone, the gang had broken into more than 20 shops in Kolar city, leaving business owners distressed and keeping the police on high alert.
The gang operated across multiple districts, including: Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur, Peresandra, Chintamani, Tumkur, Nelamangala, Devanahalli, Ramanagara and Hosur (Tamil Nadu).
Kolar police had been searching for this gang for months. The breakthrough came when the suspects were caught preparing for another theft. Upon interrogation, they confessed to their crimes.
The Superintendent of Police of Kolar commended the officers and personnel involved in the operation and announced a reward for their successful efforts. Business owners in Kolar have expressed relief following the arrests, hoping this will put an end to the gang’s reign of terror.
However, police officials emphasize the need for strict legal action against Rohit Giri to prevent him from resuming his criminal activities once released.