Police arrest Bhai Nazeer, gang members

KOCHI: The anti-goonda squad, City Task Force, on Tuesday arrested notorious goon Bhai Nazeer (40) and four others in the case related to alleged abduction and assault of an INTUC worker in 2013 on behalf of vice-chairman of Maradu municipality Antony Ashanparambil and council member Jinson Peter.
Apart from Nazeer, Thampi (48) (aka Kundanoor Thampi) of Maradu, gang members Praveen (31) (aka Mundamveli Praveen), Prajeesh (32) of Rameswaram and Nickson (28) (alias Tintu) of Fort Kochi were arrested by the city task force.Police said that the five were part of the 18-member gang that kidnapped INTUC worker Shukkoor after a dispute arose over contract work in 2013.
Following Thampi's order, Nazeer and his gang members took up the 'quotation' from Antony and Peter. Muhammed Kutty MA (47) (aka Mammootty), eleventh accused in the case, also joined the gang on Thampi's order.
Mammootty, a bus owner, was arrested along with twelfth accused Sanmayanandan (46) on Thursday last week. The gang led by Antony and Peter took Shukkoor to Sanmayanandan's rented property at Nettoor and assaulted him.
The police came to know about Thampi's involvement after Nazeer and his gang members were questioned. The accused were produced in court and remanded in judicial custody. The police have so far arrested 11 people in the case.
Police said that they have intensified search for Antony and Peter who were absconding since November 1, the day on which a case was registered on Shukkoor's complaint. Meanwhile, Ernakulam district principal and sessions court on Tuesday denied the anticipatory bail plea of Antony and Peter.