Udupi: Police successfully arrested an associate of underworld operative Hemanth Poojary, who was accused of targeting businessmen and notable figures across the Padubidri, Shirva, Kaup and Manipal police jurisdictions in Udupi district.Police said the arrested suspect is Suresh Amin,38, a resident of Yermal Bada village in Kaup taluk. He was involved in the crime by providing Poojary with the mobile numbers and other information of the affected businessmen and prominent figures. Technical evidence revealed that Amin and Poojary had hatched a conspiracy to murder a businessman because he failed to pay extortion money and stopped taking phone calls.It may be recalled that Poojary was allegedly part of a conspiracy in connection with the murder of contractor and former president of the Mudarangadi gram panchayat, David D’Souza, who was shot dead in the first week of Aug.Udupi SP Hariram Shankar alleged that Poojary made calls and issued death threats to several businesspersons and has attempted to extort them. “Regarding this matter, eight cases have been registered across different police stations in the district. During the investigation, based on definite information that a conspiracy was being hatched in an incident in Padubidri with the intention to commit violence against an entrepreneur, we arrested an individual named Amin,” the SP said.It was revealed through the investigation that Amin was coordinating locally, arranging individuals for various criminal activities, and hatching an internal conspiracy to orchestrate an attack, he said.Amin, who was remanded in judicial custody, has been taken back into police custody for further interrogation. From Amin’s possession, cash amounting to approximately Rs 4.1 lakh has been recovered. Preliminary information indicates that Rs 5 lakh was arranged by Hemanth Poojary. An investigation is under way to determine how this money was arranged and through whom it was routed, the SP said.“We are continuing our probe into all eight cases. I would like to state that if other individuals are found to have participated in these acts, they too will be taken into custody and legal proceedings will follow. In addition, I would like to urge all entrepreneurs and the people of Udupi district, that if they receive such calls, it is their responsibility to immediately approach the nearest police station and file an FIR,” the SP said, adding that the police department will provide all possible protection measures within the framework of the system.
