Don Bannanje remanded in judicial custody till Sept 11

After the expiry of his 15-day police custody, underworld don Bannanje Raja was produced before a special court under the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act-2000 in Belagavi on Friday, which remanded him in judicial custody till September 11.

He will now be housed in the Central Prison at Hindalga, where the other accused involved in the murder of Ankola businessman R N Nayak are serving time.

Raja, who was under the Udupi police custody, was brought to Belagavi and produced before the Principal District and Sessions Judge P Krishna Bhat who remanded him in judicial custody after Udupi Superintendent of Police Annamalai K, in his submission before the court which is holding an in camera hearing, said that as of now there was no need for extending the police custody.

Briefing the media, Annamalai said the investigation in the murder case had not been completed, but the Udupi police had not sought an extension of Raja’s police custody. Raja will be housed in the Hindalga jail.

However, the gangster faces several criminal cases in various places across the State, including Shivamogga, Kodagu, Mangaluru, Mysuru and Bengaluru. The police authorities of the jurisdictions concerned could seek his custody for further investigation.

Annamalai said eight accomplices of the gangster were behind bars, two of them in the Kalaburagi jail. Bannanje is the ninth accused among eleven, he said.

Earlier in the day, Bannanje was brought from Udupi to Belagavi under tight police security. The judge who took up the case immediately ordered an in camera hearing. The court hall was jampacked with curious advocates and journalists, but they had to leave the hall following the order.

Bannanje was extradited from Morocco to India on August 16.