Udupi: Five persons have been arrested in Udupi district in connection with two separate but related incidents involving an alleged attempt to attack police personnel and participation in an organised cricket betting racket. The arrests were made following coordinated action by police teams in Karkala and Shirva.
According to police, the incidents involved a group of individuals travelling in a car who allegedly tried to evade police checks and later were found to be linked to illegal betting activities.
Attempt to evade police in Karkala
The first incident took place near a showroom at Hanchikatte in Kasaba village of Karkala taluk. Police Sub-Inspector Prasanna M S and his team from Karkala Rural Police Station had signalled a black car to stop for inspection as part of routine checking.
However, instead of complying, the occupants of the vehicle allegedly attempted to flee the spot in a reckless manner, endangering the safety of police personnel on duty. Officials stated that the accused also tried to obstruct the officers from carrying out their responsibilities.
Following the incident, a case was registered at Karkala Town Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for obstruction and related offences.
Second interception in Shirva
In a related development, the same vehicle was later intercepted by another police team led by PSI Manjunath Marabada of Shirva Police Station. The vehicle was spotted moving suspiciously near Padavu in Shirva village after reportedly travelling from Belman.
Police said the driver initially slowed down but again attempted to escape. During the process, there was resistance from the occupants before they were eventually stopped by the police in Shirva town.
The swift coordination between police teams helped in successfully tracking and halting the vehicle, preventing further escalation.
Betting racket unearthed during probe
During subsequent investigation, police found that the accused were allegedly involved in an organised cricket betting racket. According to officials, the group had been luring individuals to invest money in betting activities and cheating them under the guise of assured returns.
Police also stated that the accused were engaged in illegal gambling operations, which are prohibited under law. Based on these findings, another case was registered at Shirva Police Station under relevant sections of the BNS and the Karnataka Police Act.
Accused identified
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sudarshan Shetty (29) of Nadoor, Kartavya Shetty (27) of Heruru, Arun Shetty (29) of Moodoor, Tejas (28) of Belanje in Hebri, and Prajwal Shetty (29) of Shiroor in Byndoor taluk.
All the accused are currently in police custody and are being further interrogated to uncover the extent of the betting network and any additional links.
Conclusion
The case highlights the increasing vigilance of law enforcement agencies in tackling both public safety threats and illegal betting activities. Police have reiterated their commitment to strict action against those attempting to evade law enforcement or engage in unlawful operations.
Further investigation is underway to identify other individuals who may be connected to the racket and to prevent similar incidents in the future.