Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jan 21: In a dramatic turn of events, police opened fire at Kannan Mani, one of the accused in the sensational Kotekar Agricultural Cooperative Society robbery case, after he attempted to escape custody and attacked police personnel.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, January 21 at around 4:20 PM near Alankarugudde, K C Road, during a spot inspection conducted as part of the investigation into the January 17 heist. The operation was led by Ullal police inspector Balakrishna H N and the investigation team, based on information provided by the accused.
While at the spot, Kannan Mani, a 36-year-old resident of Tilak Nagar, Chembur, Mumbai, grabbed a broken beer bottle from the area and attacked escorting police personnel Anjanappa and Nithin. He also pushed Inspector Balakrishna and attempted to stab him. Despite warnings and a warning shot fired by the accompanying CCB police inspector, Kannan continued his assault and tried to flee.
The situation escalated when the CCB inspector was compelled to shoot at Kannan’s leg to subdue him. The accused was immediately taken into custody.
Inspector Balakrishna, constables Anjanappa and Nithin, as well as Kannan, sustained injuries during the incident. All four were promptly shifted to a hospital in Deralakatte for treatment.
The Kotekar robbery case, registered as Crime No. 7/2025 at Ullal police station, involved a daring heist where masked individuals looted valuables worth Rs 4 crore, including cash and gold.
A fresh case has been registered at Ullal police station concerning Tuesday's incident, and further investigations are underway.
(With inputs from press release)