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Suspects had shot at tavern’s cashier after cancelling order

 
Police fired at and chased down two men who were on the run after one of them allegedly shot at the cashier of a bar in Mahalaxmi Layout late Tuesday night. The suspects’ families, however, insist the police had shot at them in custody.

The complex chain of events started when the two men — Ravi, 34, and Anjan Kumar, 33, along with their another unidentified friend — arrived at the Dhanalaxmi Deluxe Bar and Family Restaurant, a terrace restaurant in Saraswathi­puram around 10.30 pm. They placed an order for food but changed it after it was served. The bar management turned down their request. According to bar manager Vijay, this led to an argument between Sagai, a waiter, and the three men.

“Then Neelaiah, the cashier, tried to intervene. But an enraged Ravi suddenly fired at him with his revolver, injuring him in the left knee,” Vijay told Deccan Herald. The three ran away in the melee that ensued.

Neelaiah (45) who hails from Udupi has narrated a similar turn of events in his complaint to the police.

As per the First Information Report (FIR), the incident occurred at 10.45 pm. Neelaiah was rushed to a nearby private hospital where is being treated in the ICU. He is stable now, doctors said.

Police were soon called in. Ravi and Kumar were intercepted in J C Nagar but the third man was missing, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Inspector S R Raghavendra said.

According to Raghavendra, he received a message on the walkie from the control room. He then called up Sampath Kumar, his counterpart at Srirampura police station.

As the two officers rushed to the spot, they got the news that the suspects had run towards J C Nagar.

‘Fired in self-defence’

“We put up nakabandi in the area and managed to waylay the two. Sampath tried to convince them to give themselves up but a defiant Ravi fired at us. The bullet hit my jeep (KA 01 G 4126). He fired two more rounds which hit an adjoining wall and the jeep tyre.

We were left with no option but to fire at them in self-defence,” Raghavendra told this newspaper.

“I fired two rounds and Sampath three. The suspects were injured in the legs.”
The suspects were taken to the K C General Hospital in Malleswaram where they are being treated at present. They are stable.

Two separate cases have booked against them. One on Raghavendra’s complaint, under Arms Act, 1969, and Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty) and 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from duty) of the IPC. Another on the complaint by Neelaiah under Arms Act, 1969, and Section 307.

A 0.32 mm pistol was recovered from Ravi who claimed it was licensed, S N Siddaramppa, DCP (North), said, adding that the suspect is yet to produce the licence documents.

The weapon has been sent for ballistic examination, the officer said. Investigators are trying to identify the third man who was with the suspects and ran away after the shootout at the bar.