MANGALURU: City police have arrested Chikka Hanuma alias Chikka Hanumanthappa, a notorious member of the infamous “Dandupalya Gang”, who had been absconding for 29 years in connection with a 1997 double murder case registered under the limits of Urwa Police Station in Mangaluru.
The accused, identified as Chikka Hanuma (55), son of Venkatappa and a native of Dandupalya village in Hoskote taluk of Bengaluru district, was arrested by Urwa police at Madanapalle in Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh. He was produced before the court, which remanded him to judicial custody.
According to police, on the midnight of October 11, 1997, members of the Dandupalya gang allegedly barged into a house named “Anwar Mahal” near Urwa Marigudi Cross in Mangaluru and brutally murdered Louiza D’Mello (80) and Ranjith Vegas (19), before fleeing with gold ornaments.
Following the investigation, a charge sheet was filed against the accused. However, Hanuma evaded arrest by changing his name and absconding to Andhra Pradesh. A Long Pending Case (LPC) warrant was issued against him in 2010 by the JMFC II Court, Mangaluru.
Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said preliminary information revealed that the accused was involved in around 13 murder and robbery cases across Karnataka, and that further details were being verified.
The operation was carried out by Urwa Police Station Inspector Shyam Sundar H.M., PSI Gurappa Kanti, PSI L. Manjula, ASI Vinay Kumar, and staff members Lalithalakshmi, Anil, Pramod, Athanand and Harish.
The Commissioner of Police, Mangaluru City, appreciated the efforts of the officers and staff and recommended them for higher rewards to the Director General and Inspector General of Police.