Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Aug 31: A gang doggedly chased three persons on the main road at Kanyana market near Vittal in the taluk on Sunday August 30 and made an effort to hack all of them to death. The gang succeeded in killing one of the gang members on the spot, while two others have been admitted into the hospital here with serious injuries.

Asif (24) from Bayikatte village lost his life in this gruesome incident. Riaz (24) and Hakim (20) are being treated in the hospital. The gang war happened in front of the eyes of the passersby in the heart of Kanyana.

Asif and a group of his friends from Paivalike in Kerala, who had attended a marriage at Kanyana, were returning to their native place after attending a marriage at Kanyana, when a five-member gang which arrived in a car from Paivalike to this village, dashed their vehicle against the motor bike of Asif. Asif, Riaz and Hakim, who were seated on the motor bike tumbled into the roadside drain in this incident. Asif's friends, Aziz and Latif, who were in another motor bike, succeeded in scampering away.

Even as the three persons recovered from this shock and were getting up from the drain, the gang in the car attacked these unarmed men with swords and other lethal weapons. Riaz, Hakim and Asif ran for their lives for about 100 metres on Uppal road, but the gang which chased them wielded their weapons indiscriminately, injuring the trio on their heads, backs, legs, etc.

As the three collapsed to the ground, the accused sped away in an auto rickshaw, as the car in which they had come had developed problems after hitting the motor bike. Reportedly the gang of Nappate Rafiq, which had a pre-existing enmity with the above gang, had committed this crime.

It is said that all the youngsters now divided between the above two gangs had earlier been working together as a gang and mainly got involved with robbery, theft, and other illegal activities. Two to three years back, the gang suffered vertical split into two gangs, known as Nappate Rafiq gang and Baliga Aziz gang. Baliga Aziz had been slain two years ago, and it is learnt that cold war was on between the gangs since the last two years. Therefore, people strongly suspect the role of Nappate Rafiq gang in this incident.

Dakshna Kannada district superintendent of police, Dr Sharanappa, local assistant superintendent of police, Rahul Kumar, police circle inspector, Lt U Belliappa, rural station house officer, Rakshit A K, Vittal station house officer, Prakash Devadiga, and Kasargod deputy superintendent of police, T P Ranjith, visited the spot and guided investigation.