MANGALURU: Police have arrested four persons in connection with the brutal attack on Abdul Basheer (47) that took place at Kottara Chowki in the city on Wednesday night.
The accused have been identified as Srijith PK (25) from Kasaragod, Kishan Poojary (21) and Dhanush Poojary (22) from Padil in Mangaluru and Sandesh Kotyan (22) from Manjeshwar in Kasargod.
Among the four, Kishan Poojary was out on bail in a stabbing case that occurred at Adyar as a retaliation to RSS worker Sharath Madiwala's murder in August this year.
Police commissioner T R Suresh told reporters here on Saturday that the accused allegedly carried out the attack in retaliation to Bajarang Dal activist Deepak Rao's murder that took place on the same afternoon.
He said the four accused were under attempt to murder, outraging modesty, extortion and robbery.
Police said the four were participating in the 'Garadi Jatre', a religious fair, at Kankanadi in city when they came to know about Deepak's murder and decided to take revenge.
They allegedly zeroed in on Basheer, a local eatery owner where the four accused used to regularly visit, claimed the police.
He was attacked with lethal weapons when he returning home after closing the eatery. The police commissioner said that a team led by CCRB ACP Valentine D'Souza will further investigate into the matter to ascertain if there are any other motives behind the attack.
Basheer's condition stable
A top cop said the condition of Basheer is stable but critical. “He has improved after the surgery,” he said. He said an internal inquiry has been ordered to look into the leak of CCTV footage of the chilling attack on Basheer.
In connection with Deepak Rao's murder, he said the investigation will gain momentum and the motive will be known after the two main accused Rizwan and Pinky Nawaz are once out of post-surgery ward.
Both had suffered bullet injuries during a chase by the police after the murder and were operated upon. A team led by ACP Manjunath Rao is investigating the case.
Heightened security continues
Meanwhile, heavy police deployment in sensitive areas in Mangaluru, Suratkal and surrounding areas has continued. The local police and additional forces brought from neighbouring districts that includes 12 KSRP platoons are keeping a 24 hour vigil in sensitive areas, said the police commissioner.