Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 17: In a case pertaining to a gang of three visiting a cloth store, Tokyo Market, in Hampankatta in the city in the guise of city corporation officials and demanding bribe to spare the store of penal action, one of the accused stands arrested. Hunt for the other two is on.

The arrested man happens to be Deepak Rajesh Coelho (45), a resident of Permannur here. He was one of the three who visited a textile store on June 16, introduced themselves as city corporation officials, captured photo and video footage in the shop and threatened the shop owner to register case for corona curfew guidelines violation The trio reportedly demanded bribe of Rs 50,000 and then brought down the demand to Rs 10,000 to each of the three. The shopkeepers refused to budge, grew doubtful, and complained to Bunder police station.

The police rushed to the textile store and took Deepak into custody. Seeing that the police were coming, the other two, Shoufiq Qalandar, and Riyaz, escaped. The police are searching for him.

During the questioning, Deepak claimed to be a member of Adhunika Human Rights Commission. The police of Bunder station here registered case against the shopkeepers under the Epidemic Diseases Act for keeping the shop open illegally during the corona curfew hours, said city police commissioner N Shashi Kumar.

Bunder police are investigating the case.