Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, May 22: In connection with the rampage unleashed by a group of people who were agitated at the fact that some persons accused of involvement with illegal sand transport had been brought to the rural police station at Kandlur near here, the police have arrested eight of the accused, it is gathered. The arrested accused happen to be Shahid, Fahaz, Abdul Hameed and Azeem, all locals.
Four of the accused had been arrested on Friday itself. They have been identified as Betty Shahid, Zakir Hussain, Tabreez and Shaqir. The police are looking for several other accused who have remained elusive so far.
Based on reliable information they had got about illegal sand extraction going on at Kandlur, the rural police had kept vigil on Thursday evening. At dusk, sand was being transported illegally in Maruti Omni vehicle. Police personnel led by sub-inspector Sridhar Naik, took the vehicle and an accused into possession and took them to the police station. As soon as they got information about this development, several trouble makers came together in front of the police station and brought pressure on the police to release the accused as well as the vehicle. But the sub-inspector stood his ground, asserting that the accused would not be released at any cost, and that he would be booked. Some of the miscreants among the crowd had pelted stones at the roof of the police station. The policemen then tried to arrest the accused who had attacked the police station. One of them could be nabbed. Four motor bikes which were found abandoned at the spot were also taken into possession.
This gang of illegal sand extractors had assaulted a team comprising the then deputy commissioner of Udupi district, Priyanka Mary Francis, sub-divisional officer, Shilpa Nag, and revenue department employee, Kanataraj, on the night of April 2, 2017. As many as 27 persons were arrested in that connection and first information report had named 50 persons. Some local political leaders had stoutly supported the illegal sand extractors then.
The fact that another attack on government employees in the form of pelting of stones at the police station has happened again after a gap of two years has made the people apprehensive. The arrested accused have been booked under different provisions of Indian Penal Code.