R B Jagadish
Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala (SP)
Karkala, Apr 23: It has come to light that a person who was involved with cattle trading, and had escaped Anti Naxal Force (ANF) firing recently at Tanikodu check post near Sringeri, was an accused in murder attempt on a policeman from rural police station here. He had also been awarded punishment for this offence.
File Photo
It may be recalled that early morning on Saturday April 19, the ANF police had intercepted a pickup jeep in which cattle was being transported. The jeep which was moving through Thirthahalli and Tanikodu was fired at by the personnel, due to which Kabeer from Jokatte, who happened to be one of the persons involved with cattle transportation, was killed. Rafeeq, Sarfraz, and Pramod, who have been accused of involvement in this crime, had fled from the scene and succeeded in saving their lives.
Pramod Poojary, who was driving the vehicle in question, had been charged in the past of launching murderous assault on the head constable of rural police station here, and was sentenced by Udupi district fast track court for this crime.
Poojary had been charged with knocking down a head constable from the rural police station here, who had been entrusted with night patrolling duty, in the early hours of September 9, 2009, by hitting the latter with the vehicle he was driving during checking. Poojary was also accused of trying to crush the policemen under the wheels of the vehicle by moving the vehicle over the latter. During the interrogation then, Pramod had told the police that he used to earn Rs 2,000 for every trip involved with carrying of cattle to an illegal slaughterhouse operating near Jokatte, Mangalore, and that he conducted three such trips every week. At the time of loading the cattle on to the vehicle, his role was to hold their tails, he had confessed.
In the said case, in addition to Pramod, Hussain and Shekhappa had been named as accused. Investigating officer, Sandesh, had charged them of offences under Indian Penal Code sections 379 (theft), 332 (murderous assault), 8, 9, 11 (cow slaughter). The court had found the accused guilty, and awarded punishment to them.