Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jan 20: Ullal police, in an operation conducted in filmy fashion, succeeded in taking into custody three notorious cattle thieves, when were waiting to execute one more plan of stealing cattle. The arrests were made at around 3.30 am on Tuesday January 19 from Talapady on national highway 66. Sword, chilly powder, rope and some other equipment which are normally used for robbery, were recovered from their possession.

Irshad (30) from Chembugudde is the main arrested accused, while Imran (24) from Farangipet and Mutalib (35) from Kanjanady Kalkatta, his associates, were the others arrested from the spot. Two other men accompanying the trio fled from the scene during the police raid.

It is gathered that this five-member team, seated in a Tavera car of which number plate had been changed, was stealthily awaiting to execute a plan of cattle theft near Talapady. Ullal police conducted this raid based on reliable information passed on to them. The police said that the accused are known for conducting thefts of cows, goats and sheep, besides indulging in chain snatching. It is said that on Monday night, they had threatened family members of a house and were moving to execute the plan of stealing cattle, when the gang was apprehended.

The police had begun to chase the vehicle of thieves from Thokkottu, but the accused had managed to flee by driving their vehicle at high speed. But the police, who did not give up, succeeded in intercepting them near Talapady after a hot chase. The accused had started running away by foot from there, but the policemen who chased them managed to take three among them into custody.

Irshad from Chembugudde faces over 15 cases registered in various police stations of Dakhshina Kannada, Udupi, and Kasargod districts. He has been also involved with several chain snatching cases besides stealing of cattle. Although an arrest warrant was issued through Ullal police station against him, he had succeeded in remaining evasive. He had been released from jail after having been sentenced in relation to a chain snatching case about eight months back. His two accomplices too face a number of theft cases in different police stations. The accused were also named in an incident in which family members of Purushottam living near Nadupadavu within the limits of Konaje police station were threatened, and in a case of cattle theft at Manjanady Kalkatta.

The operation, conducted under the guidance of city police commissioner, Chandra Sekhar, and with the support of deputy commissioners of police, Shantharaju and Sanjeev Patil apart from assistant commissioner of police, Kalyani Shetty, was conducted by Konaje station house officer, Ashok, Ullal police sub-inspector, Bharati, Rajendra, sub-inspector of crime department and other staff.