Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi/Karkala

Udupi/Karkala, Oct 6: Manipal police have arrested two warrant accused who had allegedly remained absconding for 18 years without appearing before the court in a theft case, and produced them before the court.

The accused, identified as Mohammed Haneef and Fayaz Mohammed, were traced and arrested during operations conducted in Ullal and Talapady by Manipal police head constables Chetan and Manjunath.

The two accused were subsequently produced before the court. After hearing the matter, the court imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each on them and disposed of the case, police said.

From L to R: Mohammed Haneef, Fayaz Mohammed and H Venkatesh

In another operation, Karkala police arrested a warrant accused who had allegedly been evading the court for around nine years in four separate cases.

The accused was traced to Pandavapura in Mandya district, arrested and produced before the court.

The accused has been identified as H Venkatesh of Shivamogga.

The four cases registered against Venkatesh at Karkala police station were being heard before the ACJM and JMFC court in Karkala.

After securing bail and being released from prison in 2009, Venkatesh allegedly stopped appearing before the court and went absconding. The cases subsequently reached the LPC (Long Pending Case) stage, following which a warrant was issued against him.

Police had arrested Venkatesh in 2017 and produced him before the court. However, while in judicial custody, he secured bail and was released. He again failed to appear before the court and had remained absconding for nearly nine years.

A warrant was issued against him while proceedings, including the recording of evidence, were under way in connection with declaring him an LPC accused in the cases.

Acting on the warrant, a team led by PSI Naveen Borkar, comprising head constable Chandra Billava and police constable Santosh Siddarayyappa, launched an operation and arrested Venkatesh in Pandavapura, Mandya district, on the night of October 3.

He was produced before the Karkala ACJM and JMFC court on October 4. The court remanded him to judicial custody until October 17, after which he was sent to Hiriyadka prison, police said.