Bengaluru: A sandalwood thief was arrested after he was shot at by a defence personnel in Banaswadi Military Garrison on early Monday morning. The accused has been identified as Ramar from Tamil Nadu.

According to the police, Ramar, along with four others, trespassed on military campus and were cutting a sandalwood tree when an army patrol noticed them. Hawaldar Rajesh Rana from the patrolling team warned the gang to surrender. However, the gang paid no heed to the warning and attacked the patrolling team with stones and country-made weapons upon which the leader of the patrolling team order to shoot at them below the waist.





Talking about the incident, the Defence public relation officer said, “Four to five persons trespassed on Banaswadi Military Garrison with a purpose of cutting sandalwood trees. They were spotted by army patrol around 2.45 am who immediately challenged them but they started pelting stones on army patrol and tried to flee. After two warnings, the gang, instead of surrendering assaulted army personnel on duty with local weapons, in which an army personnel got injured. The patrol leader had to order firing below waist-level.”

A bullet hit left thigh of Ramar while others managed to escape, he added. Police said that the army personnel took injured Ramar and gave him first-aid. Later he was shifted to Bowring Hospital for treatment. Police recovered sandalwood logs and cutting tools from the spot.

During the probe it came to light that the gang has been involved in various sandalwood thefts in and around the city. Police are questioning Ramar to ascertain the identity of his associates to nab them.