Mounesh Vishwakarma
Pics: Kishore Peraje
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (SP)
Bantwal, Jun 11: Relating to the abduction of minor girl, the police, in an operation conducted at Bijapur bus stand on Monday June 9 evening, succeeded in arresting two persons, including the main accused, who had been evading arrest since long. The operation, conducted under the guidance of police circle inspector, Belliappa, was executed by rural station sub-inspector, Nagaraj, and Vittal station in charge sub-inspector, Sanjeev Tallur.
The missing case of the 15-year-old daughter of the late Jayant Poojary rom Nadayi in Sarapady in the taluk, had drawn lot of public attention, as closed circuit television cameras installed at a specific spot in the town had recorded the girl's arrival with her aunt and then leaving with a man in a car.
The persons now arrested are Ashok (32) from Bijjaragi village in Bijapur district, who is the main accused in the case, and his friend, Ravi alias Narasimha (40), who has been accused of helping Ashok in the abduction. Both the accused were brought to the town on Tuesday evening and produced before the judge. The two were remanded for a day's judicial custody.
In all likelihood, the police will be seeking police custody of the accused, when they are produced again in the court on Wednesday June 11. Aunt of the girl, Savita, and Ashok's uncle, Basavaraju, who had played important roles in the abduction drama, were arrested in the past, and both of them are under judicial custody as of now.
The girl, who had gone missing under mysterious circumstances after leaving home on March 17 this year in the company of her aunt in the guise of purchasing footwear, was a tenth standard student in the government high school at Navoor. The police had found her from near Kompala near Athani in Belgaum district a few weeks later. Ashok, who traded in grapes, had reportedly come into contact with the girl because of a wrong cell phone call.
The police, who were under tremendous pressure in the case, have heaved a sigh of relief with the arrest of the main accused. Various rumours were doing the rounds relating to the case. Although the girl reportedly accompanied the main accused voluntarily, the case is being treated as abduction as she happens to be a minor.