In a significant development, the Karnataka Police have invoked the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA) against all accused involved in the murder of bus service owner Saifuddin in Udupi. Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar announced the move on Sunday, highlighting the organised criminal background of the perpetrators.
Stringent Act Applied Amidst Arrests and Manhunt
Police have so far arrested five individuals in connection with the brutal killing that occurred on September 27 at Kodavoor, under the Malpe police station limits. However, the investigation faces a hurdle as the prime accused has managed to flee the country, prompting an intensified international manhunt.
SP Hariram Shankar revealed that all the accused have a history of serious crime, with more than two grave cases registered against each over the past decade. This pattern of criminal activity led authorities to apply Section 3 of KCOCA, a decision based on the gravity and organised nature of the crime.
Extended Powers for Investigators
The invocation of KCOCA brings substantial changes to the legal proceedings. The case has been transferred to the special KCOCA court in Mysuru, with the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) for Udupi appointed as the investigating officer.
This act grants investigators critical advantages: an extended investigation period of up to 180 days and the power to seize properties belonging to the accused. SP Shankar confirmed that the process to confiscate assets would begin in the coming days, a move intended to cripple the financial backbone of organised gangs and serve as a strong deterrent in the district.
Chronology of Arrests and Evidence
The police response was swift following the September murder. The initial arrests came the very next day, on September 28:
- Mohammed Faisal Khan (27) of Mission Compound, Udupi
- Mohammed Sharif (37) of Kunjibettu
- Abdul Shukur (43) of Katipalla
Subsequently, Ridha Shabana (27), the wife of prime accused Mohammed Faisal Khan, was taken into custody for her alleged role in conspiring to commit the murder. The net widened further on December 15 with the arrest of Maali Mohammed Siyan (31) from Mission Compound, Shanti Nagara, who is accused of supplying weapons to the other perpetrators.
Investigators have also secured material evidence, including a car allegedly used during the commission of the crime and a mobile phone used by the accused, which are crucial to building a watertight case.
A Message to Criminal Networks
The decisive application of KCOCA in the Saifuddin murder case sends a clear message from the Karnataka Police. SP Shankar emphasized that such stringent action is designed to disrupt and deter organised criminal gangs operating within Udupi and the broader region. The combined strategy of prolonged detention periods, asset seizure, and prosecution under a powerful special law marks a robust approach to tackling organised crime in coastal Karnataka.
