Mangaluru : Underworld operative Bannanje Raja was remanded in the custody of the Mangaluru North (Kadri) Police for five days by a jurisdictional magistrate court here on Wednesday.

Bannanje Raja, who was lodged in the Hindalga Central Jail, Belagavi, after his arrest in Morocco, was brought to Mangaluru under tight police security for being produced before the II Judicial Magistrate First Class Court. He is accused of making an attempt on the life of a businessman in Mangaluru in a shootout. While the police sought seven days custody, the court granted five days custody to them of the underworld operative. There was heavy police deployment on the court premises under the command of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) Sanjeeva Patil and Assistant Commissioner of Police (North) Tilakchandra.

Unidentified gunmen riding a two-wheeler had opened fire on realtor Suresh Bhandari when he was leaving Kadri Park at around 7 p.m. on May 25, 2011. However, Mr. Bhandari and his family escaped unhurt in the incident.

A special team of Mangaluru police had arrested seven alleged associates of Bannanje Raja in connection with the shootout.