Mangalore: The Third Additional District and Sessions Court in Mangalore acquitted the underworld mafia don Bannanje Raja in three shootout cases registered against him in different police stations of the city. The court acquitted Bannanje Raja due to the lack of sufficient evidence. In 2000, Bunts Hostel resident Irvin Pinto and his wife were returning home after attending a wedding at night. Raja and aides intercepted their car at Hoige Bazar and demanded money from the couple at gunpoint. The outlaw also threatened to shoot the couple. Later, a case was registered against Bannanje Raja and his cohorts with the city's Pandeshwar police station.
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In 2004, accomplices of Bannanje Raja opened fire near the office belonging to Rohan Montero, the owner of Rohan Corporation. It was a murderous attack. In this incident also, the assailants asked Montero to cough up the money. In the third incident also, a case was registered against Bannanje with the Kadri police station. In 2011, Suresh Bhandari, owner of Prithvi Developers and Builders, was travelling in a car along with his wife and daughter. When Bhandari's car reached Kadri Park, two men riding a bike intercepted his car and fired at him. Thereafter, a case was registered against mafia don Bannanje and his cohorts at Kadri police station.
Police after investigating the cases filed charge sheets against Bannanje Raja and his accomplices. Mafia don Bannanje Raja was hiding in some foreign country after the incidents. Raja was arrested in Morocco in 2015 and handed over to the Indian police. The police conducted an additional investigation and filed charge sheets in the three cases. Counsel Rajesh Kumar Amtadi pleaded the case on behalf of the accused.
