Deccan Herald
Bangalore, Mar 14: The City police have cracked the sensational case of the killing of two employees of Shabnam Developers at Tilaknagar in Bangalore last month with the arrest of 11 persons who allegedly committed the crime on the directives of underworld don Ravi Poojary.
However, Suresh Basappa Poojary, a close associate of Ravi Poojary, who looks after the don’s India operations, has remained elusive.
Police Commissioner N Achutha Rao told reporters here on Tuesday the gang had a contract with one Kaviraj to eliminate former corporator Samiullah, owner of Shabnam Developers, and received Rs 16 lakh as advance for the job via hawala route.
Rao said Ravi Poojary’s visiting card found at the scene of crime led the police to the culprits. Preliminary investigations led the police to Mangalore, where they picked up Yogesh. The latter spilled the beans on Ravi Poojary’s intentions to gain control of the Bangalore realty market. Poojary put his men, Kaviraj and Suresh Basappa Poojary, on the job.
He said the police department has sought Interpol help to trace Ravi Poojary.
The mafia’s intention was extortion. It decided to eliminate a top real-estate dealer to send a strong message to others. After shortlisting many realtors, the mafia zeroed in on Samiullah.
On February 15, two members of the gang, Anand and Vijay, went on a motorcycle to Samiullah’s office.
While Vijay waited outside, Anand went inside and shot both Ravi and Shailaja, Samiullah’s employees. Since Anand did not know who Samiullah was, he eliminated his employees.
A special police team led by South-East DCP Soumendhu Mukherjee and ACP M N B R Prasad solved the case. Mr Mukherjee said Ravi Poojary's visiting card was printed in Bangalore. He had named Kaviraj as brain behind the killing.
Another arrested person, Mohan, provided information about his cybercafé at Sudguntepalya, near Christ College, from where the gang got in touch with Ravi Poojary.
A 9 mm pistol, an 8 mm handgun, nine rounds of live cartridges, a two-wheeler and cellphones were recovered.
The arrested are: Yogeesh Ramappa Bangera (34), Hale Angadi Village, Mangalore; Kishore Nagesh Hemmadi alias Kishore (37), Kundapur, Udupi; Anand S (26), Hosur, Tamil Nadu; Ibrahim (35), Wheeler Road, Bangalore; C Mahesh (28), J P Nagar, Bangalore, Shivakumar alias Shivu (32), 9th Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore; Mohan (24), Avalahalli, Bangalore; K Uday alias Uday Kumar Hegde (42), Telecom Layout, Bangalore; Santosh (30), Sharada Colony, Bangalore; Kaviraj alias Raj (28), Begur, Bangalore; and Viji alias T Vijayakumar (26), 9th Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore.
Fact Box
- Underworld don Ravi Poojary’s intention was to control Bangalore real state
- His aide missing
- Extortion was mafia’s intention
- Samiullah’s name tops extortion list
- By eliminating a top real estate dealer, they wanted to send a strong message to others
- Rs 16 lakh received through hawala for the killing
- Visiting card the vital clue
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