Killers of Karnataka policeman nabbed from Nagpur

The two motorbike thieves, who killed a Karnataka Police sub-inspector near here last week, were arrested at Nagpur in neighbouring Maharashtra on Monday, a police official said.

"Crime branch sleuths arrested the accused - Harish Babu, 42 and Madhu, 20, at the Nagpur railway station from the AP Express train in which they were fleeing to New Delhi from Hyderabad," state Additional Director General of Police Alok Mohan told reporters here.

The duo allegedly stabbed to death Sub Inspector Jagadish at Nelamangala in Bengaluru Rural district, about 30km from here, after a hot pursuit, when the latter slipped and fell in a road side ditch with his service revolver in hand.

"Our probe team learnt that the duo boarded the train in Hyderabad on Monday morning and tracked their mobile phone signal. As the train had a longer halt at Nagpur station, they were spotted in a crowded unreserved coach with the help of their photos which were sent to Nagpur police through Whatsapp," Mohan said.

The Maharashtra Police formed three special teams of the city's anti-terror squad, crime branch and railway police to hunt down the duo.

Mohan said a police team was being sent to Nagpur to bring the duo back to the city after taking their transit remand and completing other formalities.

Though Jagadish was posted at Doddaballapur police station, 36 km north of Bengaluru, he went to Nelamangala in northwest to track down the culprits on a tip-off that they were about to steal motorbikes from the town.

The state government announced Rs.30 lakh ex-gratia and Rs.20 lakh group compensation to Jagadish's family as he died while on duty.