The reported threat to Minister K. Abhayachandra Jain’s life, by a person claiming to be underworld operative Ravi Poojary, on Saturday, brought to the fore the links of underworld with Mangaluru city and Dakshina Kannada district.
This incident comes a few days after two motorcyclists fired two rounds at a jewellery shop in Puttur, near Mangaluru. One of the owners of Rajdhani Jewellers, which has shops in several parts of the district, had earlier received threat calls allegedly from an underworld operative.
Superintendent of Police Sharanappa S.D. said the investigation had revealed that a partner of Rajdhani Jewellers had received threat calls from underworld operative Khali Yogish. “We are on the lookout for his foot soldieries,” he said.
There have been threat calls to builders and wealthy people in the city, which were followed by firing incidents too. On August 8, 2011, a miscreant fired at builder Suresh Bhandary when he was in his car at Kadri Park. An attempt to fire at industrialist Vijayendra Bhat was made near Barke police station on August 3, 2013. A manager of a property developer in Bejai was also targeted on March 10, 2014.
Following these incidents, the police arrested alleged associates of Ravi Poojary, Khali Yogish and Bannanje Raja.
