Accused absconding in 2017 murder case arrested in Bengaluru
Mangaluru (PTI): A man who had been absconding for nearly nine years in connection with a 2017 murder case was arrested by Mangaluru crime branch police in Bengaluru, officials said on Saturday.
The accused, Sufiyan alias Kotreshi (31), was apprehended near Shyampur Railway Gate in Bengaluru, they said.
Police said he was allegedly involved in the abduction and murder of Sapnan in Surathkal in 2017.
According to police, the victim was abducted, assaulted and later murdered by the gang, which subsequently disposed of the body in the forest area near Agumbe in Shivamogga district.
Sufiyan had been absconding since the incident and moved across several places, including Ballari, Mumbai and parts of Andhra Pradesh to evade arrest, investigators said.
Police said the accused later settled in Bengaluru under a changed identity as Mohammed Sufiyan Hussain and allegedly obtained documents such as an Aadhaar card, passport and driving licence in that name.
He had earlier been arrested in 2012 by the Brucepet Police Station in a murder case registered for allegedly killing an elderly woman during a chain-snatching attempt.
Police said the accused had spent around four years in jail in that case before securing bail.
Four criminal cases, including murder, extortion and theft, are registered against him, police said, adding that he has been handed over to Surathkal police for further investigation.
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Mangaluru police flag fake ‘sea breeze marathon’ Instagram campaign, urge public caution
Mangaluru: Police have flagged a fake marathon campaign being widely circulated on Instagram under the name “Sea Breeze Marathon” and warned the public against falling prey to a suspected cyber fraud network.
The purported post, which began circulating on April 3, claims to offer prize money of Rs 2.51 lakh for a 5 km race, Rs 3.5 lakh for a 10 km race, and Rs 5 lakh for a 21 km race. It also urges participants to register in advance. However, officials have clarified that no such marathon has been organised in Mangaluru.
The poster also promises to provide participants with free sports shoes, goodies bags and refreshments, in order to lure people.
Police suspect that the poster is part of a cyber fraud attempt designed to lure users into registering through fraudulent links.
Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy cautioned that registering through such links could lead to mobile phone hacking and financial loss.
The campaign is also being amplified through a viral video featuring songs from popular movies, along with visuals of people participating in marathons, allegedly sourced from existing footage, giving the content a sense of authenticity and misleading people.
When Vartha Bharati conducted a reverse image search, the video was traced back to marathons held in Mumbai, further confirming that the circulating content is not related to any event in Mangaluru.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati, Commissioner Reddy confirmed that the campaign is fake and that no organisation has approached authorities seeking permission for conducting a marathon, including traffic or road clearances.
“So far, no complaint has been lodged, and no victim of the campaign has been reported,” he said.
