Udupi: Five persons, including a minor, have been arrested in connection with the assault on right-wing leader Manju Kola near Blue Waves Guest House in Malpe, police said on Wednesday.
According to the complaint filed at the Malpe police station, the accused — Amruth Bhandary, Pragnesh, Punith Poojary, Abhijith, along with a juvenile in conflict with law — allegedly formed an unlawful assembly with a common intention and arrived at the spot in a white Bolero vehicle (KA-19-AD-1036), carrying a knife.
Quarrel over personal issue
The incident reportedly occurred near Blue Waves Guest House in Malpe. As per the complaint lodged by Santosh A. Amin, the altercation stemmed from a personal issue concerning the sister of accused Amruth Bhandary.
The accused allegedly confronted Santosh and his friends — Manjunath Salian alias Manju Kola, Dhanush, Lathish and Varun — and picked up a quarrel. When Manjunath questioned their actions, the accused are said to have abused him in filthy language.
During the heated exchange, the accused allegedly pushed and assaulted the victims. The situation escalated when one of the accused reportedly drew a knife.
Stabbing and injuries
Police stated that accused Pragnesh allegedly took out a knife from his pant pocket with the intention to kill and stabbed Manjunath on the left side of his abdomen, resulting in severe bleeding injuries.
Varun and Lathish were also allegedly attacked with the knife and sustained injuries during the assault. When complainant Santosh and others attempted to intervene and rescue the victims, they too were allegedly assaulted, kicked and threatened.
Following the attack, the accused reportedly fled the scene in the same vehicle.
The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police have not disclosed further details about their medical condition but confirmed that a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Arrest and investigation
The investigation was taken up by PSI Eeranna Shiragumpi of Malpe police station. Based on the complaint and subsequent inquiry, the police identified and tracked down the accused.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Amruth Bhandary (22), Pragnesh (22) and Punit Poojary (24), all residents of Palimaru village, and Abhijith (20) of Inna village in Karkala taluk of Udupi district.
All four accused have been taken into custody and will be produced before the jurisdictional court after completion of formalities. The juvenile involved in the case will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, as per legal procedure.
Police operation
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Belliappa, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Udupi sub-division, and Ramachandra Nayak, Circle Police Inspector of Malpe circle.
The detection and arrest were led by PSI Eeranna Shiragumpi along with head constable Adarsh and other staff of Malpe police station.
Police said further investigation is in progress to ascertain the sequence of events and any additional motives behind the assault. Authorities have appealed to the public to refrain from spreading rumours and to cooperate with the investigation.