By Gururaj A Paniyadi

Copyright deccanchronicle

Udupi: Police have arrested three persons in connection with the brutal murder of private bus operator Saifuddin (52), who was hacked to death in Kodavoor near Malpe of Udupi district.The arrested have been identified as Mohammad Faisal Khan (27), Mohammad Sharif (37) of Udupi and Abdul Shukur (43) of Mangaluru.The accused were produced before the court after their arrest.Police said Saifuddin, who was into the private bus business and had a criminal record with 18 cases registered against him including two for murder, was lured to Kodavoor near Malpe by his associates on Saturday morning and attacked with machetes, leading to his death.The arrests were made under the guidance of Udupi DySP DT Prabhu and led by Malpe Circle Inspector Ramachandra Nayak, with PSI Anil Kumar D and a special team of Malpe police. Investigation is in process to others involved in the conspiracy.