Mangaluru: Mangaluru Rural police arrested a convicted accused in Puttur on Tuesday after the Karnataka High Court issued an arrest warrant against him for remaining absent during proceedings in a criminal appeal. The accused, identified as 36-year-old Mohammed Mustafa alias Mustafa, was traced to his present residence in Nekkilady village and subsequently produced before the High Court in compliance with the warrant.

Mustafa, a resident of Nelady village in Puttur taluk and currently staying at 34th Nekkilady village, was the second accused in a criminal case registered by Mangaluru Rural police in 2013. He had already been convicted and sentenced by the Principal District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru before challenging the judgment before the Karnataka High Court.

Accused had challenged conviction before High Court

According to the police, Mangaluru Rural police station had registered Crime No. 59/2013 under Section 394 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The case subsequently came before the Principal District and Sessions Court, Mangaluru, as Sessions Case No. 65/2013.

Mustafa was convicted and sentenced in the case. He later challenged the judgment and sentence by filing Criminal Appeal No. 602/2015 before the Karnataka High Court. However, according to the police account, he remained absent before the High Court after filing the appeal.

His continued absence eventually resulted in the High Court issuing an arrest warrant. The warrant directed the authorities to apprehend Mustafa and produce him before the court.

The latest police action was therefore carried out to comply with the court’s direction rather than as a fresh arrest in connection with the original 2013 case.

Police team traces Mustafa in Puttur

Acting on the warrant, a team from Mangaluru Rural police station travelled to Mustafa’s present address in 34th Nekkilady village, Subhash Nagar House, Puttur, on October 6.

The police team successfully traced Mustafa at the location and took him into custody. He was subsequently produced before the Karnataka High Court, fulfilling the requirement contained in the arrest warrant.

The operation was conducted under the direction of Mangaluru South division ACP Vijaya Kranti and the leadership of Mangaluru Rural police station inspector D R Manjappa.

Mangaluru Rural police station PSI Arun Kumar D led the team that carried out the operation.

Uppinangady police assist in operation

Personnel from Uppinangady police station also assisted the Mangaluru Rural police team in tracing and arresting the accused.

Head constables Kamalaksha, Melwin Pinto and Hanumareddy, along with constables Ramesh and Birendra, were part of the police team involved in the operation. Officers and personnel from Uppinangady police station in Dakshina Kannada also provided assistance.

The coordinated operation enabled the police to locate Mustafa at his current residence despite the case dating back more than a decade.

Case dates back to 2013

The police action has its origins in a criminal case registered in 2013. The case was registered at Mangaluru Rural police station under Section 394 read with Section 34 of the IPC.

Section 394 of the IPC relates to voluntarily causing hurt while committing or attempting to commit robbery, while Section 34 concerns acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention.

Following the trial, Mustafa was convicted and sentenced by the Principal District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru. His decision to challenge the judgment resulted in the criminal appeal before the Karnataka High Court.

However, his subsequent absence from court proceedings led to the issuance of the arrest warrant.

High Court warrant leads to arrest

Arrest warrants issued by courts are used to ensure that individuals required to appear before the court are brought before the judicial authority. In this case, the Karnataka High Court directed that Mustafa be apprehended and produced before it after his continued absence during the appeal proceedings.

The Mangaluru Rural police acted on the warrant and located the accused in Puttur.

After his arrest, Mustafa was produced before the Karnataka High Court in accordance with the court’s order. The police operation therefore marked the execution of the warrant issued during the pending appellate proceedings.

Police continue efforts to execute court warrants

The arrest highlights the role of local police units in executing warrants issued by higher courts. Such operations often require police teams to verify the current whereabouts of accused persons, particularly when their addresses have changed since the registration of the original case.

In Mustafa’s case, the police identified his present residence in Nekkilady village and carried out the operation there.

The involvement of both Mangaluru Rural and Uppinangady police personnel also helped facilitate the arrest in Puttur.

Accused produced before Karnataka High Court

Following the arrest, Mustafa was produced before the Karnataka High Court as directed in the warrant. The police have therefore complied with the court’s instruction to apprehend him and present him before the judicial authority.

The case illustrates how proceedings in a criminal matter can continue for years after the initial registration of a case, particularly when a conviction is challenged through an appeal. It also shows how a court can issue a warrant when an accused fails to remain present during proceedings.

Conclusion:

Mangaluru Rural police arrested convicted accused Mohammed Mustafa in Puttur on October 6 after the Karnataka High Court issued an arrest warrant over his continued absence during an appeal against his conviction. He was subsequently produced before the High Court in compliance with the warrant.