Shivamogga police opened fire and injured a notorious burglar in the leg after he allegedly attacked officers with a knife during an arrest operation on Friday morning. The suspect, identified as Kalkere Manjunath alias Kalkere Manja (47), is a Bengaluru native with a staggering 72 criminal cases registered against him across Karnataka and neighbouring states.

Shivamogga SP Mithun Kumar stated that Manja’s charges include housebreaking, theft, cheating, and even attempted murder. His involvement in a Gandhi Nagar burglary case came to light after victim Nitin reported theft of a vehicle and gold jewellery worth ₹11.3 lakh.

Based on leads, a police team led by PSI Naveen Kumar from Jayanagar station attempted to nab the suspect. However, Manja reportedly resisted arrest and assaulted the team with a knife, injuring officer Dyamappa.

Despite being warned multiple times, the accused refused to give up. “To safeguard our personnel, PSI first fired a warning shot before aiming at the suspect’s leg,” SP Kumar confirmed.

Manja is currently receiving treatment at McGann District Hospital. The injured officer is also undergoing medical care. A fresh case has been filed at the Vinoba Nagar police station in connection with the incident.