Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Mar 9: The town, which had witnessed gang wars in the past, had been experiencing noticeable decline in this trend since the last several years. The citizens woke up on Saturday morning to the dreaded news that definite signs of gang war were visible in a midnight fight between two gangs on Friday March 7 night.

In the above incident which occurred at Koteshwar near here on Friday midnight, two persons were injured. An accused was arrested and produced in the court. He was remanded to judicial custody.

It is learnt that the members of both the gangs, who brandished swords, fought a pitched battle. Most of the participants are said to be already facing one or more criminal charges. One of the members of these warring groups, Ramesh Devadiga, was remanded to judicial custody. Another accused, Sandeep, is injured. He is likely to be arrested on Sunday March 9. The person who was targeted in the fight and got seriously injured, was Umesh Sheregar.

It is learnt that Sandeep, Akhilesh, Ganesh, Asir and Nitin, who arrived in a Maruti Ritz car near Koteshwar Bypass at around 12.15 am on Saturday, approached Umesh Sheregar and his younger brother, Ramesh Sheregar, both of  whom were standing there. Allegedly, Sandeep swished a sword he was holding, at Umesh, who instinctively brought up his hand to protect himself. His hand was injured. Umesh called his friends to the spot over phone. Akhilesh, who had accompanied Sandeep, hit Umesh with a baseball stick on his legs. Umesh fell to the ground.

Before Umesh's friends came to the spot, Sandeep and his accomplices fled in a red car, leaving behind the sword used by them, it is said. Ramesh Devadiga, who tried to flee in Ritz car, was stopped. The policemen confiscated the car, and found two packets of red chilli powder and a broken baseball stick inside. The weapons have been seized.

Sandeep is being treated in a private hospital.