Udupi: Manipal Shootout - Police Foil Major Crime, Arrest Nine
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, Apr 21: Nine persons including three from Mangala Colony near Dasharatnagar in the outskirts of Manipal here were arrested on Friday April 20. They had come there to carry out some criminal activity, it is said, but their actual purpose still remains a mystery.
The men had come in a grey Maruti Omni, and suspecting their intention, the police led by DySP Dr Prabhudeva Mane chased them. When the Omni reached a dead end, they stopped and tried to escape on foot. A few of them came forward to assault the policemen, and in defence, the police shot three rounds of fire and managed to arrest three of them.
The Maruti Omni bears the names 'Sri Durgaparameshwari', 'Sri Thokur', and 'Sri Mahalingeshwara' on its front and 'Hai Bhoomi' and 'Panchami' on its rear end. Its glass was broken, and there is a number 9845547891 etched on the rear. Its number plate (KA 05 D 2044) suggests that it was registered in Bangalore South, but on the number plate is the word 'Kambalabettu', which leads to the suspicion that the registration number may be a fake. There is also a dent on the front, probably from hitting an electric pole, and doors on the left had been tied with a cloth, may be to keep them in their place. There were signs of assault with a stick.
Some of the accused were arrested from their houses and other places, based on the information provided by the arrested persons. The police said two to three miscreants succeeded in giving them a slip, and that efforts are on to nab them. Police teams have also been looking for the miscreants in thickets located around Manipal, suspecting that some of them might have taken shelter there.
The police refused to reveal any information about the people arrested by them, except that they appear to be from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. They also are yet to ascertain whether the van in question was hired or the owners of the van themselves are involved with illegal activities.
The police also said that the matter will be made clear on Saturday April 21.