'Most wanted criminal arrested in Bangalore'

“Madoor Yousuf alias Madoor Isubu (36) from Madoor village near Ullal in Mangalore district, who had played a pivotal role by establishing a bridge between naxals and underworld elements was arrested by a Dakshina Kannada police team led by Superintendent of Police Subramanyeshwar Rao on Tuesday night at Yashwanthpur railway station in Bangalore,” Director General & Inspector General of Police Dr Ajai Kumar Singh told a press conference here.

Yousuf was allegedly involved in 17 cases including four murder cases, six attempt to murder cases and  two extortion cases besides rioting cases. Two of the murders he was responsible for in Dakshina Kannada led to communal violence in which three persons were killed, one in rioting and two in police firing.

He obtained a bail in 2003 in a rioting case and absconded in 2004. He travelled to Mumbai from Mangalore and then to Saudi Arabia. He was operating from Saudi since then, Singh said. The police produced him before a JMFC in Bantwal on Thursday.

Singh said the police received definite information that Yousuf would visit Yeshwanthpur railway station to meet an old associate. Police laid a trap and nabbed him. Singh refused to divulge details on the source of the tip-off.

Dreaded Yousuf

In 2001, Yousuf, then 26, along with members of his gang, was involved in a case of rioting in Ullal. All were convicted and awarded three years of imprisonment. He was involved in three cases of attempt to murder and rioting between 2001 to 2003.

He allegedly killed an autorickshaw driver in November 2003. In January 2004, he reportedly hatched a conspiracy to eliminate then Panchayat president of Someshwar village, Chandrashekhar Uchill.

Chota Shakeel link

He fled to Mumbai when the police launched a search operation to arrest him. He was involved in three murders between 2005 to 2009, the DG added.

According to the DG, Yousuf took to extortion in 2009. He would identify potential businessmen, threaten them through his associates and indulge in violent action against them if they refused to pay up. He was involved in three such cases between 2009 to 2010. He established contact with underworld element Shakeel alias Chota Shakeel and took up tasks assigned to him since February 2010.

He had hatched conspiracies to kill advocates Harish Rai in April 2010, Shanthi Prasad Hegde and Jagadish Shenava in May 2010. However, the police got advance intelligence and thwarted the conspiracies, Singh revealed.

Naxal link

Yousuf helped to establish links between underworld elements and Naxals in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The Bangalore City police arrested Devaiah and Vinay, who contacted Chota Shakeel through Rakesh alias Altaf.

The two received Rs 25 lakh for an operation from Shakeel and were supposed to meet Shakeel in Dubai. However, the police arrested the two before they could travel to Dubai.