Two thieves shot at in Dharwad, police on lookout for another who escaped

DHARWAD: The police shot at two thieves after the duo attacked them and tried to flee while being arrested in the city early on Thursday. Two policemen, including a sub-inspector, were also injured and have been hospitalised.

The injured thieves were identified as Muzammil and Vijay Annigeri while the injured policemen are PSI Mallikarjun Hosur and constable Ishaq Nadaf. All have been admitted to the Dharwad district hospital where their condition is said to be stable.

Police Commissioner N Shashikumar, who checked on the injured in hospital, later told media persons, “The accused are wanted in a theft case reported in Girinagar. On Wednesday night, three thieves tried to snatch a motorcycle from a rider near the Police Training School on Kalaghatagi Road and escaped. As soon as we received information, checkpoints were set up in three police station limits”.

On Thursday morning, the police nabbed one of the thieves, Hussainsab, who has over 35 cases pending against him in Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. “When the police were taking him to where the others were hiding, Hussainsab pushed some policemen and escaped. The police then nabbed Vijay Annigeri and Muzammil, but they resisted and attacked the policemen, resulting in the shootout. The police are on the lookout for Hussainsab who escaped”, the commissioner said.

Shashikumar said Muzammil and Vijay Annigeri are residents of Rajiv Nagar and Gandhi Nagar and are interstate thieves. “Vijay too has more than 35 cases registered against him, some have been detected and some haven’t. They communicate with each other through Instagram to avoid police detection”, he added.