3 held for extortion

MANGALURU: The anti-rowdy squad of the Mangaluru City police on Thursday arrested three people in connection with an extortion case from

Battakodi-Shibaroor

, around 19 km from here.

The police have identified the arrested as Pradeep Poojary, a resident of Ulaibettu, Dinesh Belchada, hailing from Bantwal and Shivaprasad from Mulki. They are part of a gang operating from Kinnigoli, said sources.

They are also alleged to have plotted to murder Eshwar Kateel, a prospective MLA candidate for the Moodbidri-Mulki constituency, on a BJP ticket. Eshwar alleged that a Congress leader from the locality had asked the trio to get him murdered.

According to sources, police got a tip-off about the trio when they were extorting money at Battakodi-Shibaroor near Kinnigoli ,and apprehended them. Weapons and a car were recovered from the accused.

A case of extortion has been registered at the Mulki police station.