Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (SP)
Bantwal, Aug 11: Several locals vouch for the fact that Mohammed Rifai, auto rickshaw driver working at Farangipet in the taluk, who was was found brutally murdered on Sunday August 10 morning near a stream in Nethrakere in Pudu village on Sunday morning, was poor, honest and hard working. He was not identified with any organizations, and was well-behaved, they say.
The needle of suspicion for the murder points to three persons who hired Rifai's auto rickshaw on Saturday evening for going towards Polali. The act is said to be a revenge for killing of Naushad who was murdered in broad daylight a few days ago at Maripalla.
After a search operation for Rifai failed, the rickshaw found abandoned near Nethrakere was handed over to Bantwal rural police on Saturday night, and his wife, Fathima, registered a missing case thereafter.
Although Rifai was not involved with any illegal or unwanted activities, he was done in by a gang of miscreants because of their anger against his brother, Tousif, who is in jail after having been accused of murdering Naushad on July 21 this year, it is said.
As many as 22 injury marks found on the body of the victim lays bare the brutality with which Rifai was killed. It may be recalled that Naushad had also been butchered with sword in broad daylight, and his severed hand was found fallen on the road. Rifai's wife, who had married six months back, is said to be in the fourth month of her pregnancy.
The police discovered that a pair of slippers left behind in the auto rickshaw did not belong to Rifai. Rifai was wearing shoes that day, his family members said.
Rifai's body was brought from Wenlock Hospital Mangalore after postmortem and cremated at Maripalla Jumma Masjid on Sunday. A large number of auto rickshaw drivers visited Rifai's family to express sympathies and mourn his death. On Sunday morning, drivers and owners of auto rickshaws in Farangipet, supported by several local villagers, held protest in front of the rural police station here, demanding immediate arrest of the accused. Federation of Auto Drivers Union district general secretary, Muhammed Ansar, local rickshaw park president, Sulaiman, secretary, Khadar, and Karavali Rickshaw Park president, Monu, led the protesters. Station house officer, Nagaraj, has expressed confidence of nabbing the culprits within two days.
ADPI Pudu committee office bearers expressed anger at the fact that the policemen have not been taking additional steps to protest interests of auto drivers, although the instances of rickshaw drivers getting killed when on hire are on the increase.
A number of people have already been summoned to the police station and questioned. It is said that a close friend of Tousif named Hafiz has gone missing from his home, giving rise to speculations about his involvement with the crime. Police teams have been formed to crack the case, and investigation is progressing, sources said.