Mangaluru: The Mangaluru police investigating the Rs 15 crore armed robbery at Kotekar Vyavasaya Seva Sahakari Sangha Niyamitha branch, where 18.3 kg of gold was stolen on January 17, shot a key accused on Saturday after he allegedly assaulted a policeman and attempted to escape during the evidence recovery process.

The accused, identified as Murugandi Thevar, 36, was arrested three days after the robbery from Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. During interrogation, he disclosed information about a firearm that was hidden by his associate, Shashi Thevar, near Ajjinadaka in Ullal Police Station limits. A police team, consisting of Ullal Police Inspector, a Sub-Inspector, and two constables, escorted Murugandi to the location for evidence recovery.

Upon reaching the spot, Murugandi allegedly attacked Constable Manjunath, hitting him in the private parts and attempting to strangle him with his restraint chain before trying to flee. In response, Ullal Inspector initially fired a warning shot in the air. As Murugandi continued to escape despite the warning, the inspector fired a shot at his leg. Both Murugandi and Constable Manjunath sustained injuries and were admitted to a hospital in Deralakatte for treatment. Their condition is reported to be stable. A separate case will be registered regarding the assault on the policeman.

This is the second such incident in the case. Earlier, on January 21, the police had opened fire at another accused, Kannan Mani, 36, who was also arrested in Tirunelveli. He was shot in the leg when he attempted to flee after trying to stab the Ullal Police Inspector during a spot inspection at the crime scene.

So far, the police have arrested four individuals linked to the robbery and recovered the entire 18.3 kg of looted gold, along with Rs 3,80,500 in cash. The arrested suspects include Murugandi Thevar, Kannan Mani alias Manivannan, 36, from Chembur in Mumbai, and Yosuva Rajendran alias Joshua alias Prakash, 35, from Dombivli West. Murugandi is also linked to a 2016 armed robbery in Navi Mumbai, where Rs 6 crore worth of gold and cash were looted.

The investigation is ongoing, with police looking for additional suspects, including Shashi Thevar, who played a crucial role in planning the heist by identifying security lapses and providing weapons.