DCIB arrests 9 underworld men

They were planning to kidnap and murder a City based advocate

Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Gopal Hosur told press persons here on Sunday that the arrested are the aides of underworld dons Koraga Vishwanath Shetty and Bannanje Raja. By foiling their plot, the DCIB team has prevented a major crime that would have sent shock waves among the legal fraternity.

The arrested are Harisha alias Cocaine Harish (36) of Madikeri, presently residing in Bangalore, Anish Shetty (28) of Mulur near Balepuni, Deekshith Poojary (21) of Maroli, Deepak Poojary (20) of Jeppinamogru, Aneesh Leepak Lasrado (25) of Permannur, Ajay Karera (20) of Nandigudde, Ganesh (26) of Mulur near Balepuni, Nawaz (23) of Tokkottu and Lokesh Devadiga (29) of Moodabidri.

A 9 mm pistol, 10 live rounds, a bike, a car, an autorickshaw, eight mobile phones and several sharp weapons have been recovered from the arrested. The department is mulling over evoking KCOCA (Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act) against the arrested, Hosur said.

Superintendent of Police Dr A Subrahmanyeshwar Rao said Kadri (Mangalore East) police had received a complaint from a City-based advocate on Saturday morning, that three persons had come to his office and threatened him at gun point that he should give them extortion money or else he would be kidnapped in the same evening and even killed.

The DCIB police formed a team led by Inspector Venkatesh Prasanna and gathered information on the movements of gangs. They zeroed in on a gang working for Koraga Vishwanath Shetty operating in the city.

On specific information that the gang is proceeding towards the advocate’s office at Bunts Hostel Circle at 5 pm, the DCIB team intercepted a car at Karangalpady and nabbed five persons. As per the information retrieved from them, four more were detained from Konaje, the SP said.

Gopal Hosur said police have arrested as many as 62 persons active in underworld activities in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the past three months, and there are at least 50 more persons in the list who are yet to be detained.

A cash reward of Rs 25,000 was presented to the team members involved in the operation.