Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod (EP)
Kasargod, Nov 20: Kasargod police on Friday November 20 arrested six persons in connection with the murder attempt on auto rickshaw driver Sandeep.
The arrested are Chowki Kambar resident Mohammed Arafat (25), Chowki Badar Nagar resident Ismail alias Eachu (23), Uliyathadka resident Moidin Kunhi alias Mustafa (39), Meepuguri resident Junaid (19), Kiyoor resident Rumaiz (23) and a juvenile.
Auto driver Sandeep
The group had tried to kill auto driver Sandeep, a resident of Battampare, with lethal weapons near KSRTC bus stand on November 12 morning. Sandeep is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mangaluru.
It is said that the mastermind of the case, identified as Afraz, is in Dubai.
The police also seized two bikes, two cars and a knife used in the crime. The accused have confessed that they threw another knife in Chandragiri lake. The clothes used during the crime have also been recovered.
Seven people are involved in the case and the mastermind Afraz is in Dubai. While Arafat and Ismail were directly involved in the crime, the others abetted the crime, informed the police.
Though the assault was due to an old enmity, the group also wanted to start riots with it, said the police.
Investigations have revealed that the conspiracy for the attempted murder of auto driver Sandeep was hatched in the Gulf. Afraz, an accused in the murder of Kithikol resident Jayachandran which took place 19 years ago, is in Dubai, police said. During interrogation, the arrested reportedly confessed that they had tried to murder Sandeep on the orders of Afraz. It is said that there were heated arguments between auto drivers Arafat and Sandeep at Kotekani a few days ago. Due to this enmity, Arafat's friend Afraz then told him to finish off Sandeep, it is learnt.
Police have information that Afraz had sent Rs 25,000 in advance for the crime. The group had made murderous assault on Sandeep on November 12 at about 2 am after following him all night. Arafat, Ismail and a 17-year-old boy in one bike and Junaid in another bike were moving about in the city.
It is learnt that they came to KSRTC bus stand twice that night but could not assault Sandeep earlier as there were other autos at the bus stand. The group then returned and ate food in a restaurant near the railway station. Later, only Junaid came to the auto stand and watched the movements of Sandeep.
At about 1.45 am, the remaining autos drove away and Junaid informed the others that Sandeep was alone. The four accused then attacked Sandeep with lethal weapons and Sandeep ran screaming to the nearby bus depot. The miscreants meanwhile threw the weapons in the bushes and fled in two different directions. They threw one of the weapons in Chandragiri lake. Rumaiz had arranged the escape routes and other things for the group.
They then went Rumaiz's car to Kannur in the morning and fled to Ernakulum by train after the crime. The accused were traced by scientific investigation and later arrested.
Police have said that the seventeen-year-old juvenile involved in the crime is an accused in six bike theft cases also. Ismail was a ganja peddler and was released from a Gulf prison after one year’s imprisonment.
The police had arrested Afraz and others in connection with the murder of Jayachandran. The court had set him free after keeping him in judicial custody. The group which was waiting to kill another person had wrongly assaulted and killed Jayachandran while he was going to his relatives' house at Nellikunje after watching a movie.
Police were able to trace them as the accused are also involved in other cases.
SP Dr A Srinivas-led police team has thereby conducted a successful operation.