Thief snatches service revolver from a cop in Karnataka, takes refuge on a tree top

The thief after snatching a service revolver from a sub-inspector had taken refuge on a tree top. After several hours of frantic search, the police were tipped off by the villagers that a person was sitting on a tree.

Kalaburagi (Karnataka): A notorious inter-state thief snatched the loaded service revolver of the Sub-Inspector (SI), who had gone to arrest him, on Sunday. The thief after snatching the firearm had taken refuge on a tree-top. After a lot of persuasion, he came down from the tree. Finally, he was arrested and sent to jail on Monday.

The bizarre incident took place in Afzalpura in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka on Sunday evening. The arrested, Khajappa Gaikwad, hails from Balluragi village under the Afazalpur taluk of the district. Several theft cases filed against him were pending in Karnataka, Maharashtra and other states. More than 20 cases were registered against him in various police stations, including Bengaluru, Afazalpur, Kalaburagi and other states. A team from Central Crime Branch (CCB) had come from Bengaluru on Sunday to arrest the accused in connection with a theft case.

The CCB team went to arrest Khajappa; he was found sitting in a car at Sonna village under Afazalpur taluk. The Afzalpura PSI Bhimarai Bankali was accompanying the CCB. Khajappa was sitting inside the car with the doors locked and the windowpanes were also rolled up. The police asked him to come out of the car and surrender. But, he refused. Not knowing what to do, the PSI Bhimarai Bankali tried to break open the windowpane with his service revolver. In the meantime, Khajappa snatched his service revolver from the PSI and fled.

The police started a frantic search. But, he was found nowhere. The absconder Khajappa was not found even though the police team made searches for the whole Sunday night. He escaped from the spot with a service revolver loaded with bullets; causing much embarrassment for the police. Therefore, on Monday morning, the police intensified the search and raided the possible hideouts from Halavade under Afazalpur taluk to Dudani in neighbouring Maharashtra. Senior police officers, including SP Isha Pant, conducted raids at several places

On Monday, the police received the information that a thief was sitting on a tree top on the outskirts of Balluragi village. On receiving the information, the police rushed to the spot and surrounded the tree and asked the thief to surrender. But, Khajappa refused to come down and also threatened the police. "If I come down you (police) will open fire. So, I will not come down. If you come forward, I will shoot. I will shoot myself and die,” Khajappa warned the police. After a lot of persuasion that went on for five hours, the police were successful in bringing him down from the tree. Finally, he was arrested.