Madikeri : The Kodagu district police have arrested three pro-Hindu organisation members in connection with the death of Shahul Hameed during the violence that erupted after Tipu Jayanti celebrations in the town on November 10. The arrested are P U Kaverappa alias Kavan (31) of Boyikeri, S H Bheeshma alias Nanda (36) of Dechoor and K R Ramesh (45), an RSS worker from Sudarshana Layout.

Briefing media persons here on Tuesday night, Superintendent of Police Vartika Katiyar said the members of pro-Hindu organisations and others during Tipu Jayanti celebrations. In the melee, VHP’s district organising secretary Devapanda Kuttappa was killed. Kaverappa, along with his friends Ramesh and Bheeshma, decided to avenge the death of Kutappa.

Bheeshma, who possessed firearm, took it along with him. Ramesh took Bheeshma and Kaverappa and dropped them behind a forest near Kodagu Vidyalaya. Kaverappa shot (from his .22 rifle) three times. The first bullet hit the ground, second bullet hit the bonnet of a jeep and the third bullet which he shot at a lorry hit Shahul Hameed. The seriously injured Shahul was shifted to a hospital in Mysuru and he later died on November 11, she added.

Shahul Hameed was shot two hours after Kuttappa was killed in the violence. After the death, the accused had roamed inside the forest for two hours and later reached the road at 3.15 pm.

Later, Ramesh took them to the District Hospital where Kuttappa’s postmortem was conducted. The trio had taken part in a protest against the death of Kuttappa held at General Thimmaiah Circle in Madikeri.