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Lack of continuity in police surveillance of Rashid Malbari, an aide of Dubai-based underworld don Chhota Shakeel, led to the latter falling off police radar, the former Inspector-General of Police Gopal Hosur has said.
It was during Mr. Hosur’s tenure as IGP (Western Range) that the Dakshina Kannada police arrested Malbari and his associate Mohammed Hasin from a place in Karnataka near Kasaragod in 2009. However, Mr. Hosur said that this was not the first time an offender had given the police the slip. “It’s a systematic fault. Offenders have fallen off our radar earlier too,” he said.
However, a senior officer, who did not want to be named, said the police could not be blamed. “He disappeared soon after his release from Bangalore Central Prison after getting bail. There were no pending warrants from the court at the time of release. If we had arrested him after his release (on bail), it would have amounted to violation of court orders,” the officer said.
Efforts are on to trace Malbari against whom two Mangalore courts have issued warrants for non-appearance for the trial. Lookout notices have also been issued. At a press conference, Mangalore Police Commissioner R. Hithendra said Malbari had violated bail conditions by not attending courts that were trying cases pending against him. Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) Amrit Paul said steps had been taken to increase security for some prominent persons in the region, who, the police believe, might be targeted by Malbari.
(The Hindu)
