Mangaluru : A special team of the Dakshina Kannada police has arrested Mohammed Haneef, alias Ali, said to be an associate of underworld operative Khali Yogish, in a case where fugitives opened fire at Rajdhani Jewellers in Puttur in October 2015. With this, the police have arrested four persons in connection with the case.

Superintendent of Police Bhushan Gulabrao Borase told reporters here on Tuesday that on the directions of Khali Yogish, his associates Haneef and Khalia Rafiq, who is now lodged at the Central Prison at Viyyur, Thrissur, in Kerala, hatched the plan to attack Rajdhani Jewellers for ransom, with the help of Abdul Asir, Rameesh Raja, Paiya and Anwar. The plan was hatched by Haneef and Rafiq when they were in the Mangaluru District Prison.

Mr. Borase said that Haneef (34) was arrested near a bus stop at Ukkuda near Vitla. The police recovered a country-made 9 mm pistol that was used by the shooters in the Puttur incident. Haneef was also an accused in a case involving fake currency registered at the Bengaluru Airport Police Station. There are seven criminal cases registered against Haneef in Karnataka and Kerala.

The police made a breakthrough in investigation with the arrest of Abdul Asir, who is said to have revealed the names of those involved in the crime. The police then arrested Anwar, who reportedly arranged the car and the motorcycle for Abdul Asir, Rameez Raja and Paiya to carry out the attack. They have made Khalia Rafiq an accused in this case.

Mr. Borase said that the special team was now making efforts to trace Khali Yogish, Rameez Raja and Paiya. He said that Rameez Raja and Paiya were reported to be holed up in Dubai and Sharjah.