Fleeing mob, trucker hides in drain for four days

KARWAR:A trucker from Sirsi, caught in the crossfire of mob violence in Honnavar, was rescued from a drain on Tuesday, four days after he went missing on Friday. Abdul Gafoor Abdul Jabbar Shunthi faced attacks from two mobs, robbed of money and mobile phone, forcing the frightened man to hide in a forest area. He is currently being treated at Honnavar hospital for leg injuries.  

A resident of Gadihalli village in Sirsi taluk, Shunthi had gone to Mugva near Honnavar to transport sand load to Sirsi. As there was a protest in Honnavar on December 8, he changed his route to Gerusoppa and headed towards Sirsi.According to police, he was attacked by a group of 20 people with sticks and rods near Khavra Cross, who robbed him of `18,000 and his mobile phone.

Shunthi ran away and hid in a forest area. While he came out in the evening, he was attacked again by a group of 10-12 people, who tore off his clothes. Escaping from the attackers, he went to Dibbangall and hid in a drain.The next day, some cashew factory workers gave him a pack of biscuits and water. But Shunthi continued to hide in a drain for three days as no one helped him to communicate with his family members. On Tuesday morning, he contacted his truck owner with the help of a person’s mobile and narrated the entire story.

Police came to Dibbangall in search of him and shifted him to a hospital, where he is being treated for exhaustion and a wound on his right leg. His family members too came visiting.