Puttur, September 11: Notorious criminal Ashraf, had fled from the local police station being caught on attempting to rape a minor girl at Nellikatte on September 8th, was arrested by the cops from Hassan.
It is learnt that, Ashraf, a drug addict and had deceived the cops even earlier, was arrested on Wednesday September 10th, before expiry of the deadline set by the Hindu organization for giving a bundh call in the region.
Police team from here were deputed to Hassan district as the police personnel suspected that Ashraf had fled there. The operation was carried out from Monday night onwards. This team was one of the three investigating teams formed by city police inspector, B K Manjaiah, which had been sent to Hassan, Ramanagar and Kasargod districts looking for Ashraf.
Some Hindu organizations had set Thursday nightfall as deadline for the arrest of Ashraf and they had warned of giving a bandh call on Friday if the accused was failed to be arrested. On this issue, additional district superintendent of police, S T Shivakumar, had spoken to the representatives of Hindu organizations here on Wednesday. An auto rickshaw driver Muhammed Hussain from Mukrumpady had helped Ashraf to escape from the police station, has already been arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
Ashraf now faces two cases, one under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and another for escaping from the police station. Local deputy superintendent of police, H D Mendonca, is guiding the investigation.
Speaking to media persons here on Wednesday, the Additional superintendent of police, Shivakumar, said, as per the orders of the higher officials in the department, disciplinary action will be taken against the erring cop whose carelessness helped Ashraf to escape. He said a report on the incident will be called from the police station to spot-out and hold the concerned erring officials and take stringent action against them.
