Bar shootout: Accused in Dubai, cops helpless

BENGALURU: The Ashoknagar police, who recently solved a shootout case and also busted a fake passport racket subsequently, have hit a roadblock and are now exploring ways to get the two main accused in the shootout case back from Dubai, where they are settled now. Investigations have revealed that the duo used fake passports to fly out of the country, and as the police do not have the numbers or the names used in the passports, they cannot issue red corner or lookout notices. The duo gave a supari from Dubai to eliminate one of their former business partners in the city.

On the night of August 16, Chethan (45), one of the owners of Times Bar and Restaurant in Gold Tower on Residency Road, was shot at by a man inside the bar. Luckily Chethan had survived. The police arrested four men, including Anwar Hasan, but the main accused, Rakesh alias Althaf and Asgar Ali alias Munna, could not be nabbed as they are living in Dubai. Based on the information given by the arrested accused, the police also stumbled upon the passport racket, where the passports were obtained using fake documents. The police have arrested six others in this connection.

Now, the police are exploring ways to catch Althaf and Munna. “The duo, who hail from Mangaluru, are settled in Dubai. Though they were facing criminal cases in Mangaluru, they managed to get fake passports and leave the country. As they have procured passports by furnishing fake documents, it is difficult for us to get them back. If they had gone out of the country using original passports, then we could have issued red corner notices through the Interpol and would have also circulated lookout notices against them at all airports in the country. But now, we don’t know their passport numbers or the names they have used to get the passports. It is very difficult for us to initiate any action and get them arrested,” a senior police officer said.

The police, however, are still trying various means to catch them. “We have kept a constant watch on some people who are in touch with them. We are confident that we will arrest them once they come to India,” the officer said.

The accused, Anwar Hasan, had directed the main accused to the mastermind of the passport racket and had also got himself a fake passport from the same man and had flown to Dubai to meet the duo. He had received the contract money from the two main accused and had chalked out the plan to attack Mr Chethan, the officer said.