Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jan 22: In a major breakthrough, the Urwa police of Mangaluru city have arrested a notorious member of the dreaded Dandupalya gang who had been absconding for nearly three decades in connection with a sensational double murder case registered in 1997.
The arrested accused has been identified as Chikka Hanuma alias Chikka Hanumanthappa alias K Krishnappa alias Krishna (55), son of Venkatappa, a native of Dandupalya village in Hoskote taluk of Bengaluru district. He was residing under a false identity at Vijayanagar Colony, B K Palli, Madanapalle, in Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh.
The accused, listed as accused no. 6, was arrested at Madanapalle by the Urwa police and produced before the jurisdictional court, which remanded him to judicial custody.
The arrest pertains to Urwa police Station Crime No. 113/1997, registered under Sections 460, 396 and 400 of the Indian Penal Code. Chikka Hanuma is a known associate of the infamous Dandupalya gang and had managed to evade arrest since the year 1997.
Grisly double murder case
According to police records, on the midnight of October 11, 1997, members of the notorious Dandupalya gang forcibly entered a house named Anwar Mahal, situated near Urwa Marigudi Cross in Mangaluru taluk.
The gang members — Dodda Hanuma alias Hanuma, Venkatesh alias Chandra, Munikrishna alias Krishna, Nallathimma alias Thimma, Krishna alias Dandupalya Krishna alias Nagaraj, Chikka Hanuma, Krishnadu alias Krishna and Venkatesh alias Ramesh — brutally murdered Louis D’Mello (80) and Ranjith Vegas (19), who were present in the house.
After committing the murders, the accused decamped with gold ornaments, triggering shock and outrage at the time.
Following a detailed investigation, police filed a charge sheet before the competent court. The case was tried by the 34th Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge (Special Court) at the Central Prison premises, Parappana Agrahara, Bengaluru, in Sessions Case No. 728/2010. Upon conclusion of the trial, five of the accused, including Dodda Hanuma alias Hanuma, were convicted by the court.
Evaded law by changing identity
Police said the present accused cleverly evaded arrest by changing his name to Chikka Hanumanthappa alias K Krishnappa alias Krishna and absconding to Andhra Pradesh, never appearing before the court. In 2010, the JMFC II Court, Mangaluru, issued a Long Pending Case (LPC) warrant against him.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused is involved in around 13 murder and robbery cases across Karnataka, and further details of his criminal antecedents are being verified.
The arrest was carried out by a special team led by Urwa police inspector Shyam Sundar H M, assisted by PSIs Gurappa Kanti and L Manjula, ASI Vinay Kumar, and staff members Lalithalakshmi, Anil, Pramod, Atmananda and Harish.
The Mangaluru City police commissioner has appreciated the commendable work of the officers and staff involved and has recommended them to the director general and inspector general of police (DG & IGP), Karnataka, for suitable rewards.