Bantwal : Group of masked men barge into house, open fire, assault 4 family members

Mangalore Today News Network

Bantwal, July 1,2016 :  Four members of a family  from Bolmar have been hospitalised after a group of around 30 masked men  barged into their house,  opened fire and then attacked them with machetes during the wee hours of June 30, Thursday.

The injured namely Majeed (26), his wife Ayeshat Fouzia (24), Majeed’s mother Nabeesa (45) and brother Siraj (23) are undergoing treatment at Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru.

The incident is learnt to have taken place at around 3 am. The assailants who created a sense of fear  even damaged a bike and an Alto car parked in front of the house.

It is said the assailants had come by four vehicles including a Swift, Hyundai i20, Ertiga and Alto and were armed with lethal weapons.

As the house of the victims was close by the Bolmar mosque, several people who had come to the mosque were present and had to run in panic as they heard around 50 rounds of firing. Two of the assailants have been identified as Sharif Medu and Rafiq Thalekki Medu.

Sources said soon after the attack, some assailants fled towards Kerala while others  proceeded via Thalekki.

According to some sources, a  dispute between two groups over sand mining issue  might have culminated in the attack. It is said two groups had even involved in a quarrel earlier on Thursday wherein  a lorry driver Azeez  and cleaner Majeed were injured. The  group had dispersed after Manjeshwar Police had rushed to the place. It is believed that  police action of seizing two sand lorries heading towards Kerala a fortnight ago and the subsequent seizing of nine sand lorries by Kerala cops a few days ago had resulted in some dispute between sand smugglers.

The house is located close by the Kerala- Karnataka border, a place where sand laden lorries are seen parked during the day time and proceed at night.