The police have arrested two persons in Lingapura village near here for their alleged involvement in illegal trading of firearms.
The accused are Ashraf K.K., a cloth merchant, and Nadim, a tyre merchant. Both are residents of Shivamogga city. The police have seized four pistols, 48 rounds of live ammunition, and an empty magazine from them.
Superintendent of Police Abhinav Khare has told reporters on Thursday that it had emerged during the investigation that the duo were acquainted with gangster Hebbattu Manja, who is said to be hiding in Singapore at present.
He said that Manja and his associate Ambareesh had plans to kill Korangu Krishna, the leader of a rival gang. To execute the plan, they purchased six pistols and 58 live rounds illegally from Javed, a resident of Behrampur in Odisha, and directed Ashraf to keep them in his possession. Ashraf hid the firearms at an arecanut plantation in Lingapura village in Mandagadde gram panchayat limits.
To meet his personal financial needs, Ashraf sold two pistols and 10 live rounds to Gaffar Khan, a resident of Mandagadde, and Iqbal, who was engaged in jewellery business in Mangaluru, four months ago. It is said that Ashraf had plans to sell the remaining firearms as well.
On Wednesday, the police raided the plantation and arrested the duo. Cases under various sections of the Arms Act have been booked against Ashraf, Nadim, Gaffar Khan, Iqbal, Manja, Ambareesh and Javed, the SP said.
Replying to a query on the murder of rowdy-sheeter Inayath by a group of armed assailants at Anna Nagar locality in the city on Wednesday evening, the officer said the incident was recorded in the surveillance camera installed at a nearby house. The police are examining the footage and will nab the culprits soon, he promised.
