Mangaluru /Bengaluru : The Bengaluru police have arrested two persons from Surathkal for stealing a service pistol from an MLA’s gunman who fell unconscious after long hours of duty in Yelahanka New Town.

The Northeast division police arrested the duo identified as Dhanush Thimmappagowda alias Dhanu (20) and Vijay Subash alias Anjaneya (21) and recovered the service pistol and 16 mobile phones from them.

The incident occurred on February 24 in MS Palya when Narasimhamurthy, a constable attached to the City Armed Reserve (CAR) deputed as a gunman to Devanahalli JD(S) MLA Pilla Munishamappa, had just finished his duty. He was in plain clothes, but armed, and the muggers mistook him for a private bodyguard who was sleeping, the police said.

“It was a Friday loaded with too many political developments (the MLA had resigned on February 23 but withdrew the resignation later), and the gunman who was tired after long hours of duty, fell unconscious near MS Palya” said City Police Commissioner Praveen Sood.”It was then that the duo stole the 9 mm service pistol from him and fled,” Sood added.

Narasimhamurthy lodged a complaint at the Yelahanka New Town police station. He could not remember exactly when, where and how his weapon went missing.

“Initially, we thought he was reporting the theft out of fear because at that time, two other stolen service weapons were recovered from the house of a CAR constable Purushottam, who stole them from his two colleagues. But we still had to go ahead with the investigations,” said a senior police officer.

A team that was constituted to collect details of suspicious activities in Mangaluru stumbled upon a case where two youths were trying to sell a 9 mm prohibited bore police weapon to criminals. They immediately arrested the two and recovered the service pistol from them. The duo confessed to their crime, an officer said adding, “Only after that could we believe Narasimhamurthy’s claims.”

The duo were brought to Bengaluru, produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody. They used to commit thefts and robberies threatening lone victims with lethal weapons in Udupi, Surathkal and Mangaluru after which they decided to strike in Bengaluru. “This is the first time the two struck in Bengaluru and we have nabbed them. No offence was committed with the stolen police weapon and our men involved in the investigation will get cash prize of Rs 25,000,” added Sood.