Mangaluru police shoot at two members of ‘Chaddi’ gang when trying to escape from custody

The city police on Wednesday shot at two members of the notorious ‘Chaddi’ gang of Madhya Pradesh when they attempted to escape from police custody after assaulting two policemen at Mulky.

The city police on Wednesday shot at two members of the notorious ‘Chaddi’ gang of Madhya Pradesh when they attempted to escape from police custody after assaulting two policemen at Mulky.

In a joint operation, the Urwa police and Hassan Sakaleshpur police on Tuesday arrested four members of the gang - Raju Singhania, Mayur, Bali, and Vikky - within five hours of looting articles worth ₹13 lakh after assaulting elderly couple Victor Mendonca, 71, and his wife Patrica Mendonca, 60, at their house in Kotekani 1st cross.

Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal told reporters that on Wednesday morning a police team led by Urwa Police Inspector Bharati took the arrested persons to the place in Mulky where the accused had thrown the rod used to assault the elderly couple. Raju and Bali, with handcuffs, got out of the police vehicle and proceeded to show the rod. Assistant Sub Inspector Vinay was holding Raju, while Bali was held by police constable Sharath. Raju pushed Mr. Vinay to the ground and began assaulting him. At the same time Bali assaulted Mr. Sharat. As a precautionary measure, Ms. Bharati first warned the accused and then fired two rounds in air, before shooting at the legs of Raju and Bali.

Injured Raju and Bali were admitted to Government Wenlock Hospital, while two injured police personnel were admitted to a private hospital. All are out of danger, Mr. Agrawal said.

The Police Commissioner said investigation so far has revealed involvement of the arrested persons in the theft at the elderly couple’s house and also in the theft at a house in Kodical on July 7. “It appears to be a big team. We are taking their fingerprints and analysing it with State and national fingerprint data base to find out the past cases they were involved with,” he said. The team arrived in Yeshwantpur recently and they came to Mangaluru three days ago. The accused had planned to return to Bengaluru with the stolen goods and then proceed to their native places.

Stating that CCTV cameras installed at various locations had helped police to quickly trace the accused in theft cases at Ulaibettu, Kodical, and Kotekani, Mr. Agrawal said police have taken up a drive to check the condition of 25,000 CCTVs in the city. “We want houses and business establishments at crucial areas to install good CCTV cameras.”

Night check-posts have been set up at different areas in the city and reserve police personnel were being deputed, he said. Mr. Agrawal announced cash award of ₹50,000 to Ms. Bharati and her team for swiftly tracing the accused.