Mangaluru : A dagger and three knives, used for the murder of two associates of underworld operative Chota Shakeel in Mangaluru District Prison on Monday, were recovered on Wednesday following an intensive search.

Five persons associated with underworld operative Vikki Shetty’s associate Akashbhavan Sharan had jumped the wall of their cell and murdered Madoor Isubbu (42) and Ganesh Shetty (40).

Police Commissioner S. Murugan said, “These arms were hidden inside the prison.”

On Tuesday, Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) Alok Mohan said the assailants had stabbed Isubbu 40 times. Ganesh Shetty died after being hit by the blunt sides of the sharp weapons. Mr. Mohan had said the murder was well planned and had been executed on the directions of persons outside Mangaluru prison.

He said the police were verifying the veracity of the calls made by Vikki Shetty to some media houses to reportedly claim he was behind the murders.

In light of allegations of availability of contraband in the prison, the prison and police personnel jointly searched cells and barracks on Wednesday and found 16 mobile phones, six kitchen knives, seven SIM cards, seven memory cards, mobile charges, electrical wires, cutting pliers, packets of chilli powder, electric stove, and wires of electric iron.

Confirming this, Additional Director-General of Police (Prisons) Kamal Pant said some more actions were being planned to put system back in order in Mangaluru prison.