Anti-cow slaughter activist murder: Mangaluru Police arrests one more accused

Mangaluru: Another accused in the murder of a Bajrang Dal activist Prashanth Poojary involved in busting illegal slaughter houses was arrested on Saturday before he was to fly to Dubai from Mumbai airport.

Acting on a look-out circular set by Mangaluru Police to all airports across the country, 40-year-old Mohammad Imtiaz Gantalkatte was picked up by immigration officials at Mumbai airport, Additional Director General of Police Alok Mohan told reporters here.

A team has been sent to Mumbai to bring the accused back to Mangaluru for investigation, he said.

With this, nine persons have so far been arrested for the murder of Prashant Poojary, a 29-year old flower vendor who was brutally hacked to death by six bike-borne men at nearby Moodbidri on October nine.

Mangaluru Police Commissioner S Murugan had earlier said the accused were upset over Poojary's activities against illegal trafficking of cattle.

The brutal attack had happened 12 days after 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched by a mob at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over beef eating rumours, that led to a nation-wide outrage.

A witness to the murder, Vaman Poojary, had allegedly committed suicide a week after Prashant Poojary's killing, with Bajrang Dal saying he was facing threats to his life.

Accusing Congress government in Karnataka of showing negligence in unearthing the "conspiracy" behind the murder, BJP has demanded handing over the case to CBI for probe.