Action against gangster: police, BMTF demolish house

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, NOV. 26. In a major crackdown on the activities of notorious gangster, Mani Bharathi, police along with the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) personnel demolished a house that was constructed by the hooligan on an encroached land in Malleswaram Police limits on Saturday.

Police also raided a house in the Raja Mills Colony, near Mohammedan Block in Malleswaram, which had been converted into a club by Mani Bharathi.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), Mr. S.K.Venugopal told The Hindu that Mani Bharathi had taken control of the Karu Mariamma Temple at Raja Mills Colony, after throwing out Ms. Lakshamma, who was looking after the temple for the last two decades.

In the name of the temple, Mani Bharathi had been extorting money from businessmen and public. He had encroached a site, adjacent to the temple, belonging to the Raja Mills and had illegally constructed a house there.

The gangster had converted the house into a den and it had become the centre of his criminal activities. As the building had been constructed illegally, the BMTF personnel with the assistance of the local police demolished it, Mr. Venugopal said.

Meanwhile, police also raided a house at Raja Mills Colony, which was allotted to Mani Bharathi's father-in-law by the company 30 years ago.

Though his father-in-law had retired from service, Mani Bharathi was still in possession of it and was running a club at the house. Police claimed to have recovered some incriminating material from the premises.

Mr. Venugopal said that now the quarters had been allotted to a serving employee of the company.

A few days ago, an armed gang, led by Mani Bharathi and another mobster Kalapattar, alias Ganesha, assaulted a cable television operator in the area and absconded. When police launched a manhunt to nab them, he surrendered. At present, he is lodged in the Bangalore Central Prison.

Mani Bharathi, a key player in the City's underworld, though was lying low for a few years, was covertly continuing his criminal activities which became known after the attack on the cable television operator, police said.

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Section  : Southern States
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