Dakshina Kannada police have arrested two persons, including a Popular Front of India (PFI) leader, in connection with the murder of Sharath Madiwala, 28, an RSS activist, at B.C. Road, near here, last month. The police are searching for five more persons suspected to be involved in the murder.
The arrested are Kalilullah, 30, president of the Chamarajanagar unit of the PFI, and Abdul Shafi, 36, of Sajipamunooru village in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada. Shafi is said to be associated with the PFI, but the police are yet to ascertain it.
Harishekaran, Inspector-General of Police (Western Range), told presspersons here on Tuesday that the two had been accused of giving shelter to persons involved in the July 4 murder. They have been accused of arranging vehicles for the murder and escaping from B.C. Road.
A 30-member special investigation team, which includes Assistant Commissioner of Police Valentine D’Souza, and police inspectors Sunil Nayak, Mahesh Prasad and Amanullah Khan, has been formed to crack the case. Apart from questioning over 50 persons, the team collected information from district and central prisons and visited several places in Shivamogga, Karwar, Bengaluru, Kerala, and Maharashtra.
Mr. Harishekaran said the transfer of policemen during the period of unrest in Bantwal following the murder did affect the investigation to some extent. He announced a reward of Rs. 25,000 to the investigation team.
Mr. Harishekaran said with the arrests in the murder case he was ending his seven-month tenure as Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) on Tuesday “on a satisfying note”. He said he will hand over the charge to the incumbent, Hemant Nimbalkar, on Wednesday.
Following the attack and severe injury on July 4, Maidwala died in a hospital in Mangaluru on July 7. B.C. Road witnessed stone-throwing incidents during his funeral procession on July 8. Several vehicles had been damaged and two persons had been injured in the stone-throwing.
The murder had resulted in tension in Bantwal taluk, forcing the police to impose prohibitory orders in most parts of Dakshina Kannada district, except Mangaluru, for nearly two months. There were a series of transfer of police personnel, including Superintendent of Police Bhushan Gulabrao Borase.
Courtesy: The Hindu
