An arecanut trader allegedly misplaced a sum of Rs 1 crore from his car

Upon his return Umesh opened the boot of car only to find cash missing

Upparpet police received a complaint from Umesh and are investigating case

A trader allegedly misplaced a sum of Rs 1 crore that was stored in the boot of a car he had rented for a business excursion, during a brief stop for tea on a highway in Karnataka.

Law enforcement authorities suspect the likelihood of an inside job, directing their focus toward the cab driver and other acquaintances who were aware of the substantial cash being transported.

The Upparpet police received a formal complaint from HS Umesh, the trader from Bheemasamudra near Chitradurga.

Umesh, along with his associate GE Mallikarjun, operates Sri Marulasiddeshwara Traders in Chitradurga. Their business involves procuring arecanuts from local farmers and distributing them to various states.

Umesh entrusted a sedan (bearing the registration number KA-16-N-8522) owned by Swamy PB from Talya village in Holalkere taluk.

Placing the cash bag in the car’s boot, he and Swamy embarked on a journey across several locations in Tumakuru district to meet with farmers. Not once during the expedition did Umesh access the contents of the bag, as confirmed by the authorities.

During the return journey, the duo halted the sedan at a highway restaurant near Bengaluru to enjoy some tea. It wasn’t until Umesh returned to Bheemasamudra at approximately 7.45 pm and opened the boot that he realized the cash bag had gone missing.

Upon questioning Swamy, who professed his innocence, the pair retraced their steps to all the locations visited throughout the day, but failed to locate the missing bag.