Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Apr 8: Infamous underworld don Bannanje Raja was acquitted in three shootout cases, that were registered in the city, by the third additional district and sessions court.

A case was registered in 2000 on Raja and his associates of waylaying the car of Irvin Pinto and his wife, as they were returning after a marriage function, near Hoige Bazaar, and demanding money.

In 2004, a case was registered in Kadri police station on Raja and his associates for a shootout at the office of Rohan Monteiro, owner of Rohan Corporation, and demanding money.

In 2011, a case was registered in Kadri police station on Raja and his associates for trying to shoot Suresh Bhandary, owner of Prithvi developers and builders, when he was with his wife and daughter at Kadri Park.

Police had filed a chargesheet in all the three cases. Bannanje Raja was hiding in overseas countries during all the three incidents. He was apprehended at Morocco of Africa in 2015 and handed over to Indian police. The cops had conducted investigation in all the three cases and filed an additional charge sheet to the court.

Justice Basappa Balappa Jakati, who conducted inquiry of all the three cases, acquitted Raja. Rajesh Kumar Amtadi of P P Hegde associate, argued for the accused.

Now only one fake passport case and ED investigation is pending against Bannanje Raja. All the other cases that were registered against Raja in Mangaluru are quashed by the Karnataka high court. In the high court, lawyer P P Hegde had argued for the accused.