BENGALURU: When the police were struggling to get leads in the biggest daylight heist of Rs 7.11 crore in the first few hours, the owner of the SUV which was used in the crime came to the rescue of investigators by informing the police that his vehicle was hired by the robbers. It was a dent mark on the rear bumper of the SUV that helped the owner identify his vehicle, as the robbers had changed the number plates. His tipoff decided the course of the investigation and helped the police cops zero in on the accused within 24 hours.

The police, investigating the November 19 heist from multiple angles, were left with no clues as the accused had avoided all digital footprints. The breakthrough, however, came when a Central Crime Branch (CCB) constable received a call from the vehicle owner.

Sources said that when photos and videos of the SUV were flashed all over the media, the owner was puzzled to see that the SUV looked exactly like his but was carrying a different registration number plate. On a closer look, he was convinced that it belonged to him as the vehicle had the telltale dent on the rear bumper of the vehicle.

He immediately alerted the police. A police team arrived at his house and learnt that the SUV had been hired by police constable Annappa Naik attached to the Govindapura police station by paying Rs 5,000 as advance a few days before the heist.