Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (MB)
Rumours about Possible Encounter - Police Flatly Deny Reports
Update: Saturday, 11-30 pm
Rumours were rife in the whole district and elsewhere that it was not an escape by Rafiq, but he had been bumped off in an encounter.
Media offices and police control rooms were flooded with enquiries. Both IGP Satyanarayana Rao and SP Dayananda have stoutly denied it and scotched all the rumours.
The police sources told Daijiworld on condition of anonymity that the police could not do anything of that sort because Rafiq was in police custody under court orders. Anything that could happen to the life of Rafiq could put the cops in trouble, they said.
Further details are awaited and an update is expected on Sunday morning.
Update: Saturday, 1-45 pm
Mangalore: Mulki Rafiq Still at Large - Police on Massive Hunt
Mangalore, Jan 13: Though some of the local papers said that Mulki Raifiq who had escaped from police custody at Devarakolli near Madikeri while on the way to Mysore was nabbed, police sources confirmed that he is still at large. Mulki Rafiq is the prime accused in sensational Sukhanand Shetty and Polali Anantu murder cases.
File pic of Mulki Rafiq being produced in court after his arrest earlier this month
As reported in these columns earlier he was brought to the district after Panambur police inspector Gangi Reddy had asked for police custody for him in order to investigate the Polali Anantu murder case. After investigation he was produce before the court here and later was sent to Mysore in a police vehicle along with Bajpe SI Sudarshan and 33 constables. However, as the jeep reached Devarakolli, Mulki Rafiq managed to jump out of the jeep and escape after assaulting one of the constables.
Despite continued search, police could not trace him. Dakshina Kannada SP B Dayananda, Puttur ASP Dr Harsha and other senior police officials are at Madikeri leading the search operations. Sources said that there are likely chances that he has been hiding in the dense forests near Devarakolli. He is handcuffed and while escaping was also bound by leading chain.
Though the police have surrounded the entire area in order to arrest him, some close sources said there are likely chances that he may be gunned down if he attacks police while arresting. Though these rumours of encounter were alive even before the arrest on December 29, police led by Venkatesh Prasanna had not encountered him, may be since his wife Zohra too was with him. Now that he has escaped assaulting a police, these rumours of encounter cannot be ruled out.
Earlier report
Saturday, 8-15 am
Mangalore, Jan 13: According to reports reaching here from police sources, Mulki Rafiq, the main accused in the Sukhananda Shetty murder case, is said to have escaped from the custody of the police while he was being from detention in Mysore for interrogation in Mangalore.
File photo of Mulki Rafiq
Rafiq is accused in several other cases including murder of Polali Anantu. On the way to Madikeri, he is said to have escaped from the custody by hoodwinking the police and vanished into thin air.
On hearing the news, DK SP Dayananda, Inspector venkatesh Prasanna and others have rushed to Mysore. Vehciles between Mysore and Madikeri were being stopped and checked right through the night.
Caught again?
Unconfirmed reports say that, after all the police stations were alerted, the police managed to arrest Rafiq again near Madikeri.
Further details are awaited.
Earlier News:
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