MANGALORE: Six more accomplices of Gulf-based Bannanje Raja alias Rajendra Kumar, who has been accused of criminal activities, were arrested here on Sunday.

The arrests were made by the District Anti-Rowdy Squad of Dakshina Kannada district police, based on information given by two members of the gang arrested earlier.

Two cars and five cell phones have been seized from them.

Those arrested are said to be involved in various cases of threat, extortion and assault on businessmen in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, carried out at the behest of Bannanje Raja, who hails from Udupi.

`Petty criminals'

Four of them are students of colleges in the city; the rest are "petty criminals" who have been involved in communal clashes. They are Sandeep Shetty (22) of Kotekar, Deepakraj (27) of Ballalbagh, Vishalraj (18) of Thokkottu, Shinto Jacob (20) and Shabi Thomas Jacob (22) of Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta district and Shelly (20) of Payyanur, Kannur district, Kerala, a press release said.

Sandeep, an SSLC dropout, was involved in several communal incidents and in a recent attack on Ervine Pinto, a businessman, on December 26 last. Along with Deepakraj, Vishal, Shelly and Shaji, he waylaid the businessman near Hoige Bazar and tried to kill him.

A case was registered in Mangalore South Police Station in this regard. Deepakraj has studied only up to SSLC.

Main accused

Vishalraj, who is doing second year B.Com. at a Government College here, has a cause of assault against him in connection with a fight among college students. Shinto Jacob, doing third year BCA at a private college here, had become friends with Shaji alias David, main accused.

Shabi Thomas, doing third year B.Sc. Nursing at a private college here, came to know Shaji while staying in a flat with Shinto and others.

Murder attempt

Shabi has been handed over to the Udupi police. He, along with Shelly, barged into a house of John Luis at Brahmavara on December 17 last, and opened fire to kill him.

Shelly is doing second year BCA in the same college as Shinto. He too was staying with others in the same flat and developed friendship with Shaji.

Probe on

They will be produced before the Magistrate after interrogation.

Efforts are on to nab the main culprit Shaji alias Asif, David, Boxer and a few others of the gang, who are still at large. A police team has been sent to Kerala to investigate.

Superintendent of Police B. Dayananda has appealed to parents to keep a close watch on their children.

Schools and colleges should watch out for outside elements trying to lure students into criminal activities.

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