Mangaluru Police Attach Properties of Sureties in 17 Cases, Arrest 13 Absconding Accused

Mangaluru Police Attach Properties of Sureties in 17 Cases, Arrest 13 Absconding Accused

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 25, 2026: In a concerted drive to trace long-absconding accused in serious criminal cases, the Mangaluru city police have attached properties of sureties in 17 cases and recovered surety amounts in 11 cases, Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said on Saturday.

Addressing reporters, Mr. Reddy said that six months ago, instructions were issued to all police stations to secure absconding accused involved in grave offences such as murder, dacoity, rape, attempt to murder, communal killings and stone-pelting incidents.

The police identified 38 notorious accused against whom courts had issued warrants in cases registered between 1998 and 2023. Of these, 13 absconding accused have so far been arrested and produced before the respective courts.

Mr. Reddy said the city police moved courts to recover surety amounts ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹1 lakh in 11 cases, and sought attachment of properties of sureties in 17 cases. Separate proceedings have also been initiated in two cases where sureties were found to have submitted fake property documents at the time of granting bail to the absconding accused.

The Police Commissioner lauded the efforts of the Urwa police team, led by Inspector Shyam Sundar, for arresting 55-year-old Chikka Hanuma, an alleged member of the Dandupalya gang, who had been absconding in a double murder case registered at Urwa police station in October 1997. He made special mention of police constable Lalita Lakshmi for tracing the accused, who was living in Andhra Pradesh under a changed identity as Krishnappa alias Krishna.

Mr. Reddy said Chikka Hanuma is an accused in 13 criminal cases, including the Urwa double murder case. He faces four murder cases in Bengaluru, three in Mysuru, two in Hubballi, and one each in Mandya, Shivamogga and Tumakuru. In seven of these murder cases, the remaining accused have been sentenced to life imprisonment, while in the Urwa double murder case, the other accused were acquitted.

Apart from the Urwa case, Chikka Hanuma will be produced before courts in the remaining 12 murder cases. Trials will be held after the filing of charge sheets, the Police Commissioner added.