Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Jul 15: The policemen have zeroed in on the culprits involved with the racket that had snatching away a loaded petroleum tanker in the wee hours on May 5, 2009 from Kerekatte near Hosangady in the taluk. A gang of four had arrived in a car at the tanker carrying diesel and petrol bound for Shimoga that had been parked by the roadside at Kerekatte near Hosangady in the taluk. They had woken up driver Nonaiah Gowda and cleaner Chandra Acharya, sprayed chilli powder into their eyes, gagged them and then forcibly abducted the tanker. They had taken both of them in a car and on the way, had pushed Nonaiah Gowda out of the car at Navunda village in the taluk.

The policemen have since arrested seven people including former Uttrara Kannada zilla panchayat vice-president Mankali Vaidya. The arrests were made from Murdeshwar, in a joint operation launched by Shankarnarayana and Amasebail policemen. While Vaidya is said to have masterminded the abduction, other accused Manjunath Atyadi, Pravin Poojary, Satish, Shekhar Shetty, Shekhar Poojary and Mojari from Shirur, Bantwal and Beltangady, allegedly helped him in the task.

The oil in the tanker reportedly reached a petrol bunk owned by an influential politician from Uttara Kannada district. Superintendent of police Pravin Madhukar Pawar said, more details would be provided on Wednesday July 15.