Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru (RJP)
Mangaluru, Jun 26: Relating to the murder case of Mohammed Ashraf Kalayi, police have taken into custody, one of the two prime accused, it is reliably leant.
Divyaraj Shetty is the person who has been taken into custody for interrogation.
Social Democratic Party of India's Ammunje unit president Ashraf Kalayi was hacked to death at Benjanapadavu by motor-bike born assailants on June 21. Following the murder, tension had prevailed at various places in Bantwal and police have clamped Sec 144 in the entire district till June 27.
As per police, Divyaraj and Bharat are the two prime accused persons and they hatched the conspiracy to eliminate Ashraf Kalayi and took help from others for the murder.
Pawan Kumar alias Punda (24), Ranjith (28), and Abhin Rai alias Abhi (23), from Bantwal, Santosh alias Santhu (23) and Shivaprasad alias Shivu (24) from Thumbay were arrested on Saturday and are under interrogation by Bantwal police at a secret location.
Except Santosh, all the other accused are involved in several cases in and around Bantwal.
Bharat is yet to be traced.
As per police sources, murder of Ashraf was a revenge act for the murder of Rajesh Poojary, an auto rickshaw driver from Shivajinagar in Benjanapadavu, that took place on March 21 in 2014. Rajesh was a Hindu activist.
It was believed that Ashraf helped the families of Rajesh Poojary murderers when they were in jail and this belief made the prime accused to plan the elimination of Ashraf.