Bengaluru: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested the fugitive Indi police inspector, M.B. Asode, from Kolkata in the sensational kidnap and murder case of rowdy Gangadhar Chadchan from Indi taluk in Vijaypura district in October 2017.
The alleged role of some police officials in the kidnap and murder of Gangadhar and the alleged fake encounter of his elder brother and rowdy Dharmaraj on October 30, 2017 has not only exposed the criminal nexus between the police and the habitual offenders, but also blown the lid off the encounters of criminals. “The CID, with the help of Vijayapura and Kolkata police, secured the arrest of suspended inspector Asode from Kolkata. He was on the run since June this year. He is being taken to Vijayapura, where he will be produced before the local court. Asode’s arrest and custodial interrogation will throw further light in the case,” DGP, CID, Praveen Sood told Deccan Chronicle.
Asode’s name had cropped up during the investigation in the sensational case in which the CID has already arrested prime accused and Chadchan’s rival gang leader Sahukar Mahadeva Bhairagonda and four police officials sub-inspector Gopal Hallur, constables – Siddarooda Roogi, Chandrashekar Jadhav and Geddappa Naikodi. They are now in judicial custody.
The CID had submitted the first chargesheet in the case last month against15 people, including Sahukar (A1) and the five cops. “We will soon file a second chargesheet in the alleged encounter of Dharmaraj Chadchan,” Mr Sood said.
Gangadhar Chadchan went missing the same day Dharmaraj was killed in an alleged fake encounter on October 30. The mother of the notorious brothers – Vimala Bai, in May had filed a habeas corpus petition in the Kalaburgi bench of the Karnataka High Court, following which the Vijayapura police had registered an FIR against Sahukar and some private individuals. The case was handed over to CID on June 16. The arrest of Sahukar’s associates Hanumanta Poojary and Siddagonda Thikundi later led to the arrest of SI Hallur and the three constables.
According to sources, the accused police officials had picked up the two brothers from their village. Hallur allegedly staged the encounter of Dharmaraj, while the constables on alleged “instructions” handed over Gangadhar to his rival Sahukar. The accused cops also allegedly helped Sahukar in disposing of Gangadhar’s body in Bhima river. The body is yet to be recovered.
The Vijayapura police had initially stated that on October 30 last year, Hallur, along with his team and two informants, were tipped off on the hideout of gunrunner Dharmaraj Chadchan in Konkangaon of Indi taluk. According to them, the police had fired at Dharmaraj in self-protection. He had later succumbed to his injuries in a government hospital.
