Mangaluru: In a commendable move, the CCB sleuths here arrested eight aides of underworld element Vicky Shetty on Thursday January 7. 

The men were arrested as two separate gangs in two incidents.

In the first case, six associates of Vicky Shetty were arrested from Marakada village here.

The arrested are identified as Gaurish from Bajal, Jayesh from Bondel, Naveen Shetty from Akash Bhavan, Praveen Kumar from Kalladka, Harishith from Kulshekar and Guruprasad from Kankanady.

As many as six mobile phones, four swords and two cars were seized.

Newly appointed Mangaluru City Police Commissioner M Chandra Sekhar said that the operation was carried out based on information from reliable sources that the gang was planning to commit some crime and were seated in one white Ritz and one Swift car in front of an orphanage at Gundurao Lane in Marakada.

Chandra Sekhar said that Gaurish is wanted in a murder case that took place in Ullal jurisdiction in 2015. Jayesh, Naveen and Praveen were also arrested in connection to a case but were released on bail after which they pursued old habits.

In another case, two more associates of Vicky Shetty named Sachin Gowda (31) and Pawan Shetty (21) were arrested from Keerti Mahal Lodge near KSRTC Bus Stand here. Two mobile phones, a country made pistol and five rounds of ammunition were recovered from them.

Sachin was involved in the murder of a person named Rajesh in 2004 in Urwa police station limits. He is also an accused in the attempt to dacoity case registered in 2014 in Mangaluru Rural police station. The other accused Pawan was involved in the murder of a person named Durgaprasad Shetty in 2014 Mangaluru South police station limits, Chandra Sekhar added.

Pleased with the CCB, the Commissioner has announced cash prize of Rs 15,000 to the staff involved in the operation.