JOIN USA day after Basheer, 20, was subjected to electric shock and tortured to death, the Marathalli police on Wednesday arrested Basudeva Reddy (55), the prime suspect.
Two other men who were injured in the assault are said to be recuperating, police said.
Reddy and his accomplices had attacked the victims, suspecting they had stolen copper wires and a motor pump belonging to him. The police confirmed to DH that Asif-ul-Sheikh and Ajmal Sheikh, who were injured, had stolen the wires along with Basheer.
The police are on the lookout for the other accused Syedullah, Meibullah and Mittu, who are on the run.
Reddy has been booked for murder and attempt to murder. He was produced before a magistrate and was remanded in judicial custody.
Basheer’s body was handed over to his family after the post mortem was completed.
Basheer, a native of Karimpur in Bengal, was the sole breadwinner of the family. On Wednesday, fellow labourers pooled in money to hire an ambulance to send Basheer’s body to his native for final rites. Several labourers residing near Basheer’s shed have returned to their native, fearing attacks by Reddy’s men and police action.
Basheer’s mother Tameemur Sheikh claimed that a group of people approached her, offering Rs 5 lakh in return for withdrawing the case. Tameemur refused the offer, saying her son’s killers should be punished. There are over 1,000 people living in the labour sheds at Munnekolala, on the land belonging to Reddy.