Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP)
Mangaluru, Apr 5: A group of young men with a criminal background who operated under the name 'D squad' had recorded a video brandishing guns and circulated it on social media. The incident was reported on March 9 in Miyapadavu, Manjeshwar police station limits. The video had gone viral in Kerala and the then DSP Laxmi Prasad had directed the officials to stay alert for any suspicious activity.
Later on March 25, the D squad had fired shots in a club at Hidayat Nagar for trivial reasons and fled the scene. The Kasargod district police had raided their hideout at Miyapadavu, as an outcome of which the accused fired shots at the police and made a run for the Vittal border, Dakshina Kannada district. The Vittal sub-inspector Vinod Reddy and staff under guidance and directions from senior officials had formed a temporary checkpost at Kodange to nab the accused. On March 26 at 4 am, when the police had tried to stop the car the accused fired a round at the police and tried to escape. However, the police team were successful in arresting Asfaq, Shakir and Latif. They confiscated a pistol, bullets, an axe, dragger, drugs and the car. While two other suspects Rahim and Rakesh had escaped.
The investigation continued and the Vittal police received information that the men who were absconding were on their way to Bengaluru by car. On April 5 at 5 am the police caught them at Budoli, took them into custody and confiscated the weapons.
The seven arrested have been identified as Asfaq, Shakir, Lathif, Rehman residents of Miyapadavu, Rakesh Jalgaon, resident of Maharashtra, Koova Fayaz and Hyder Ali alias Hyder Mangalpady, resident of Miyapadavu.
The items confiscated from them are four pistols and 27 rounds of ammunition, a SBML gun, an axe, a dagger, MDMA drugs, SDL drugs and two cars.
The operation was conducted under the leadership of Bantwal rural circle inspector, T D Nagaraj, by Vittal SI Vinod Reddy and ASI Karunakar, staff Girish Prasanna, Pratap, Lokesh, Vinayaka, Nazir, Vivek, Hemaraj and Praveen under guidance of Bantwal ASP Valentine D’Souza and directions from Dakshina Kannada SP Sonawane Rishikesh Bhagawan.