Amid high drama, anti-social element Kunigal Giri and three of his associates were arrested in a joint operation by the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh police at Hindupur in Andhra Pradesh.
The associates were identified as Govind (27) from Ramanagaram district and Jagga (25) and Vasu (26), both from Tumkur district.
While Giri was injured while fleeing from the police at Hindupur on Saturday night, his associate Govind was also hurt after he was shot at by the police at Devanahalli en route to Bangalore on Sunday.
Giri’s gang against whom the police have booked at least 88 different cases, including dacoity and extortion, was recently in the news for targeting resorts and clubs on the outskirts of Bangalore. The gang wanted to target a leader in Andhra Pradesh, City Police Commissioner Raghavendra H. Auradkar told presspersons here on Sunday.
A special team of the Karnataka police had gone to Hindupur after receiving information about Giri’s whereabouts. Acting on a tip-off, they zeroed in on his location on Saturday night. A chase ensued as Giri fled on his motorcycle. However, he crashed into a lorry and was injured. The police found a pistol on him. He was taken into custody and then shifted to Hindupur Government Hospital.
After interrogating Giri, the police learnt that three of his associates were holed up in a rented house at Hindupur. They raided the house, nabbed the trio and seized weapons as well as Rs. 3 lakh in cash from them. The police team then left Hindupur to transport the accused to Bangalore.
Around 8.20 a.m. on Sunday, Govind said he had to get down from the vehicle to relieve himself, near a petrol outlet, at Devanahalli. Govind then tried to escape, and when the police chased him, he reportedly threw stones at Kamakshipalya police station inspector Bale Gowda, injuring his arm. When Govind was about to throw stones again, inspectors N.B. Sakri from Whitefield police station and Rangappa from Ashok Nagar police station fired one round each in self-defence, injuring Govind below the knee. The police then overpowered him, and rushed him to Columbia Asia Hospital.
The police booked cases against the four accused under the Arms Act. This follows a series of arrests made by the city police in April. Six members of the gang were arrested at Banashankari on April 16, while 13 others were nabbed on April 24 and 25.
