Exactly a month after the shoot-out at a cinema made news, the Haveri Police have managed to arrest the accused who had opened fire at a patron in Shiggaon of Haveri district. They have now recovered the weapon used in the crime.
Superintendent of Police of Haveri Hanumantharaya told presspersons in Haveri on Thursday that the accused, Manjunath Patil, a native of Haveri, was on the run after the shoot-out. He was traced and arrested at Mundgod in Uttara Kannada on Thursday.
Manjunath Patil had opened fire at Vasantkumar Mugali of Shiggaon taluk on April 19, injuring him seriously as two bullets pierced through him. The victim is still recuperating in hospital.
Mr. Hanumantharaya said that two teams comprising Circle Inspectors Basavaraj Halabannavar, M.I. Goudappagoudar and Santosh Patil and Sub-Inspectors Mahantesh M.M., Srishail Pattanashetti and Parashuram Kattimani and other police personnel were formed after the incident and they were on the look-out for him from then.
“We have recovered a pistol, 15 live bullets, one scooter and a mobile phone from the accused,” he said.
Another accused, Ismail, a resident of Bankapur town, who had helped the accused in escaping, has also been arrested. He helped the accused in return for money.
The accused travelled to Bengaluru, places in Goa, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in the last one month, he said and added that further investigation is on to check how he managed to secure arms illegally.
He clarified that preliminary investigation revealed that he is not a habitual offender and that they will seek his custody from court for further interrogation.
On April 19, an altercation broke out between the accused and the victim at the screening of Kannada blockbuster KGF-2 at Rajashree cinema in Shiggaon. The accused left the cinema only to return with a pistol after a few minutes and opened three rounds of fire at the victim.
