Vijayapura: In a major crackdown on illegal firearms in this district, the police have arrested nine people and seized 24 live cartridges. Briefing reporters on Tuesday, Vijayapura Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi said the police intensified their investigation following the murder of Satish Prem Singh Rathod on January 28.
On that day, Ramesh Lamani shot and killed Satish Rathod at Arikeri Tanda in the Vijayapura Rural police station limits, he said. Six people were arrested and remanded to judicial custody in connection with the case. Sagar, alias Suresh Rathod, was arrested on February 13. Nimbargi said that during interrogation, Sagar revealed that he had procured the pistol from Madhya Pradesh and supplied it to Ramesh Lamani.
Police also discovered that he had been bringing country-made pistols from Madhya Pradesh and supplying them to various individuals, he added.
"During our raids at various locations, we recovered nine country-made pistols and 24 live cartridges. In connection with this, we arrested nine people: Prakash Rathod from Vijayapura, Ashok Pandre, Sujit Rathod, Sukhdev Rathod, Prakash Rathod from Sindagi Taluk, Ganesh Shivaram Shetty, Channappa Mallappa Naganur, Santosh Rathod and Janardan Pawar," the Superintendent of Police said.
He added that the police are further interrogating the nine suspects. "Sagar used to sell these pistols for somewhere between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh each. He has been doing this for the past five years. While working as a truck driver, he came in contact with a person from Madhya Pradesh from whom he used to procure the pistols," Nimbargi said.
