Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MB)
Rafiq Encounter: Spot Report
Sunday, 12-05 pm
with inputs from RK and Dayanand Kukkaje
The encounter took place around 5-50 am on Sunday on the godown road beside the Udupi railway station. Inspectors Venkatesh Prasanna and Gangi Reddy led the team.
On Friday night, Rafiq escaped from police custody while in transit from Mangalore to Mysore jail. He had vanished into the thick forest area. A Maruti Zen car was said to be trailing the police vehicle and Rafiq appeared to have been whisked away in that car.
The police had been monitoring the calls made by Rafiq from his mobile phone. They were traced to the mobile tower in Udupi. Immediately the police rushed there and kept waiting for him. Apparently, Rafiq had planned to leave by the train leaving for Mumbai at 6-00 pm.
On spotting him, the police asked him to surrender. But instead he reportedly fired two rounds of shots at them. The police responded with ten rounds and he crashed to the ground.
On hearing the news, western range IGP Satyanarayana Rao, DK SP Dayananda, Udupi SP Subramanyeshwar Rao and Udupi ASP Satish Kumar rushed to the spot with their force.
Rafiq was dropped by an unidentified person on his motorbike according to the police. They are trying to trace his identity.
The developments took place so fast and the operation was kept totally under the covers. Udupi police sources informed our correspondent that they came to know about the encounter only when they were asked to prepare the first information report (FIR) soon after Rafiq was gunned down on Sunday morning.
Since Rafiq hailed from Kolachekambla in Mulki, security has been tightened in Mulki area to prevent any untoward incident. Rafiq's wife is in Mysore jail under custody. She is reportedly being brought to Mangalore to enable her to attend the funeral rites.
Pictures from the spot
Update: Sunday, Jan 14, 11-45 am
Pics RK Durga Digitals
Spot where exchange of fire took place; revolver belonging to Rafiq is seen
Public gathered at the spot
IGP Satyanarayana Rao, DK SP Dayananda and Udupi SP Subramanyeshwar Rao at the spot
IGP Satyanarayana Rao having a look at the body
Mulki Rafiq Shot Dead at Indrali near Udupi
Udupi, Jan 14: Mulki Rafiq, main accused in the Sukhanand Shetty murder case and also accuse in many other cases, was reportedly shot dead in a police encounter around 5 am near Indrali railway station here.
Rafiq had escaped from police custody while in transit at Devaralkolli in the Sampaje ghat area near Madikeri on Friday night.
It has baffled the police and the public alike as to how he managed to reach Udupi within day, evading hectic combing operation that had been going on for over 24 hours.
More details are awaited.