Daijiworld News Network - Mangalore (MB)
Pic Praveen Tauro Kulshekar
Mangalore, Dec 19: District superintendent of police B Dayananda on Tuesday evening addressed a media meet to provide the details of the encounter that took place early in the morning.
The prime suspect in the Sukhanand Shetty murder case, Atiq, hailing from Nellyadi in Puttur taluk, was arrested by DK police team led by Pandeshwar police inspector Venkatesh Prasanna. As he was being brought to Mangalore by the police, around 6-45 am on Tuesday, Atiq, on the pretext of answering the call of nature at Ottinene near Byndoor, tried to escape. According to the police, Atiq snatched the loaded revolver from one of the police constables and fired three rounds at the police.
Atiq - fallen to police encounter
SP Dayananda addresses the media, as ASP Lokesh Kumar looks on
In reply, inspector Venkatesh Prasanna and his staff Rajanna fired at him. Two bullets are said to have pierced his body.
Views of the spot where the encounter took place (Pic Mazhar Kundapur)
Critically injured, he was taken to Byndoor hospital, where he was declared dead.
Our Puttur correspondent adds:
Atiq is known by different names in his native Nellyadi. His other aliases were Sudhir, Bullet Sudhir, Karate Sudhir, Ashraf and Ravi. He is said to have been a close associate of absconding history-sheeter, Mulki Rafiq.
He was the son of one Alexander of Hosamajalu, Nellyadi. After Alexander's death, the family is reportedly moved to Bangalore and is currently living there. He was wanted for the murder of one Francis in 1999 and had given the slip to the police while being taken to Mysore jail. He was also named in many cases of robbing Dharmasthala-bound pilgrims at Periashanti near Beltangady. He had also cases against him in many other police stations.