Two persons arrested for abetment to suicide of former MLA’s brother

The Mangaluru police have arrested two persons who have been accused of abetting the suicide of B.M. Mumtaz Ali, 52, a businessman and younger brother of B.A. Mohiuddin Bava, former Congress MLA of Mangaluru City North.

The police gave the names of the arrested as Rehamatha Suiab and her husband Shuaib. A team of Kavoor police arrested them from a hideout at Melkar in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada on Tuesday. The police said search was on for the remaining four accused against whom a lookout notice has been issued.

Mumtaz left his house in Baikampady in his high-end car on Sunday around 3 a.m. On the way, he sent a voice message to the family group stating the names of some persons who were extorting money from him and he was hence, ending his life. Mumtaz hit a bus around 4 a.m. Few minutes later he stopped the car on Kuloor bridge and jumped into the Phalguni river. His body was found on Monday.

In a complaint to Kavoor police on October 6, Mumtaz’s brother Hyder Ali said his brother was being blackmailed since July 2024 by Rehmatha, Shuaib, and four others. The accused were demanding more money from Mumtaz. Rehamatha and her husband joined Abdul Sattar, a political rival of Mumtaz, in conspiring with other accused persons in extorting money from Mumtaz. He accused Rehmantha of falsely spreading message that she had illicit relationship with Mumtaz. Apart from taking ₹50 lakh, the accused took ₹25 lakh in the form of cheque and they were demanding more money, Mr. Hyder alleged.

The other accused named in the complaint are sand trader Kalandar Shafi, Mohammed Musthafa and Abdul Sattar’s car driver Mohammed Siraj Salam.

Following discovery of the body, the police registered this compliant for offences related to extortion and abetment to suicide under Sections 308(2), 308(5),352, 351(2), 190, 108 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Published - October 08, 2024 09:07 pm IST