Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur
Kundapur, Jun 8: The police have arrested two persons for allegedly blackmailing Mangala Gowri, wife of Manjunath Adiga, the chief priest of Kollur Temple, and theatening to kill her son Nithyananda Adiga.
The arrested are prime accused Harish Reddy from Kota who resides in Santekatte Kallianpur, and his aide Vivek Nayak. An unlicensed country-made pistol, two raw bullets, two mobile phones and a Maruti 800 car were seized from the accused.
As per reliable sources, Harish Reddy was arrested from a private lodge in Bangalore, where he was said to have been hiding from some days. But the police have been claiming that he was arrested from Badramahankali Temple cross in Vandse.
The operation was carried out by Udupi district CCB under the direction of Udupi SP on Wednesday June 5 evening, it is learnt.
In the month of March, Mangalamma had received calls for about a week from an unknown person, who threatened to kidnap her son Nithyananda Adiga, if she failed to pay Rs 50 lac. Worried by the threat, Mangalamma had informed the Kollur police and had taken protection from them. Only two accused were arrested at that time.
Who is Harish reddy?
Harish's name had emerged in the murder case of Bailakere Seena, which took place in Udupi Kalsanka sometime ago. The court had given him a clean chit in connection to this case. He was also accused in a few other cases after this, it is learnt. After the extortion incident, as his associates were arrested by the Kollur police, he fled to Bangalore, it is learnt.