Mohammed Mustafa
Credit: Special Arrangement
Mangaluru: Mohammed Mustafa, an accused in the daylight murder of entrepreneur Abdul Lateef (38) in Mulki, who fled the country on a fake passport was arrested by a city police special team near Pakshikere in Mulki police station limits on Monday.
Mohammed Mustafa alias Musta was one among the 10 accused arrested for allegedly stabbing Abdul Lateef in broad daylight by Mulki police in 2020. Mustafa, however, succeeded in securing bail from Karnataka High Court on October 19, 2020 and then with the help of a fake passport fled to Oman.
Though the Supreme Court cancelled Mustafa's bail on April 22, 2022, he failed to attend the hearings in court and was absconding since then. Later, Mustafa illegally entered India through Nepal and had been evading arrest. A case for fleeing from India on a fake passport was also registered at Basavanagudi police station, Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy said.
Two more cases for failing to be present during trial and entering the country illegally were registered at Mulki police station. There are as many as four cases registered against Mustafa in Mulki police station and five cases in police stations in other districts. Warrants issued against Mustafa are pending in Chikkamagaluru and Udupi police stations.
Among the 10 arrested for the murder, four, including the main accused Dawood Hakim had been released on bail. Six others, including Mustafa were lodged in jail, sources added.