Ullal: Probe indicates revenge for 'Target' Ilyas killing behind Sameer's murder

Ullal: Sameer alias Kadappa Sameer (33), a rowdy sheeter brutally hacked to death on Sunday night near Thokkottu Kallapu, was killed in revenge for the 2018 murder of Ullal resident Target Ilyas, police investigations have reportedly found. It is said that a group of five people, including a close relative of Ilyas, executed this crime.

Several individuals have been taken into custody for questioning related to the incident. Sameer, who was jailed for a robbery case, was released on bail four days ago. On Sunday, he was traveling to his flat in Pumpwell with his mother and family members when the incident occurred. While stopping the car in front of a commercial complex near Kallapu, a group of five individuals attacked and killed him with a sword.

Revenge for Target Ilyas Murder

In 2018, a group of eight people, including Sameer Kadappa and Dawood, killed Target Ilyas, who was involved in several cases of extortion and threats, including a honey trap operation under the monicker of ‘Target’ Gang. The murder took place in a flat in the apartment opposite the Badriya Jumma Masjid in Mangaluru’s Kudroli on January 13, 2018, when Ilyas was asleep.

Sameer and Dawood, who had separated from the target Gang, were identified as the main accused in the case.

Revenge Plot Intensified After Acquittal

After Ilyas’s murder, an attempt was made on Sameer’s life by a group led by Ilyas’s relative, Farooq. The Ullal police had to shoot Farooq in the leg to stop the gang, and no further incidents occurred.

Several cases were registered against Sameer in Ullal, Konaje, Bantwal, Pandeshwar, and other police stations, including a shootout case in Pandeshwar.

In December 2023, the Mangaluru court acquitted Sameer in the Ilyas murder case. Following the acquittal, Ilyas’s associates planned Sameer’s murder.

Murder Planned in Jail

Sameer, who was involved in a robbery attempt on a businessman in June 2024, had been jailed. The murder plan was reportedly set in motion in Mangaluru jail itself on July 11, when a group of inmates, led by Ilyas’s associate Topi Naufal and his gang, attacked Sameer and his companion Mansoor in the jail with deadly weapons.

Just like Ilyas was killed in front of his aunt Asmat and uncle Mohammad Naushad, Sameer was killed in front of his mother and family members.

It is also gathered that Sameer was accused of smuggling gold and extorting it from smugglers, which had made him wealthy in the criminal world. After being released on bail, he made reels with his new car and uploaded them on social media. This, along with his car details, was reportedly obtained by his rivals through social media, leading to the successful planning and execution of his murder after four days of surveillance.

Swords Recovered

Sameer was murdered in an isolated area behind the commercial complex, and the swords used were discarded nearby. His body was discovered an hour later, and two swords were recovered from the bushes on Monday morning.

The investigation, led by Ullal Inspector Balakrishna H.N. under the guidance of Commissioner Anupam Agrawal and ACP Dhanya Nayak, has yielded significant leads on the suspects, sources said.

Both Killed While Out on Bail

Ilyas, who had started a car rental business under the name “Target” in Mastikatte, Ullal, had formed a gang of youths involved in extortion, robbery, and murder attempts. Dawood and Sameer, who were part of Ilyas’s gang, later split and formed their own teams. Following a dispute over money, Ilyas was fatally attacked by Dawood’s team and was killed five days after being released on bail. Similarly, Sameer was killed four days after being released on bail.