Mumbai: Chhota Rajan connected to mastermind of Hyderabad gold heist?

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Sunder Rajaratnam Kangalla, believed to be a former associate of D K Rao alias Mallappa, a feared gangster, known to be a close aide of Chhota Rajan, was apprehended for masterminding a large heist in Hyderabad last December. His wife Radha Kangalla, who is an accomplice was also nabbed.

The arrests were a joint operation of the Mumbai crime branch and the special task-force of Cyberabad police. Out of the 41kg booty, 2.25 kg gold bars were acquired from the accused.

According to The Times of India, Sunder Rajaratnam Kangalla masterminded the heist in which, a gang of six robbed Muthoot Finance Ltd office of gold in Hyderabad, by posing as CBI officers. In order to leave no traces behind, the gang also fled with the CCTV footage.

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Cyberabad Police arrested gang members Lakshman Narayan Mudhang, Ganesh Pandurang Bhonsle alias Patil, Subhash Pujari Pandey, Sunder Rajaratnam Kangalla, Kaala alias Lambu and Thukaram Gaikwad based on CCTV footage in January of Sangareddy junction. They made the arrests after identifying the heist bike belonging to a habitual thief named Vijay Kumar, a Gulbarga native.

Cops recovered gold ornaments worth Rs 3.5 kg from the arrested gang members, who revealed during interrogation that Sunder need funds to run the civic elections from Dharavi. He plotted the heist with his jail mates, who were all history-sheeters.

Following the heist the accused called a jeweller named Kumar Shah to Ganesh Patil's Nashik residence, where the gold was melted into 36 bars, which they distributed among themselves. Cops say Sunder and Lakshman both took 17 kg gold with them and 4kg gold was recovered from Madhung's home in February.

Also read - Thane Crime: 35 kg gold heist was handiwork of two gangs

Sunder was booked in 12 robbery offences and convicted in two to eight years' rigorous imprisonment by sessions court, but was bailed by the Bombay High Court last November.

He and his wife were able to evade the police by vacationing with some family members in Mangalore, Bengaluru, Kerala and Goa. He would keep his mobile phone switched off most of the times, which made it difficult to track him.

Police arrested Sunder from a flat in a SRA building in Dharavi, and his wife was arrested in Chunabhatti. Kumar Shah has been booked for aiding the accused.