Mangaluru: Rowdy-sheeter and Rama Sene founder president Prasad Attavar accused of collecting Rs 17.50 lakh from a Mangalore University Professor, after promising to make him the next Vice Chancellor of Raichur University, was arrested by Kankanady Town Police on Monday.

Dr Jaishankar, serving as Director of College Development Council of Mangalore University, was acquainted with Prasad through one Vivek Acharya, DCP (Law and order) Hariram Shankar said.

Prasad (40) had promised the professor of Mangalore University on facilitating his appointment as the next vice chancellor of Raichur University. He had made Jaishankar believe that he had contacts with state BJP leadership, including Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, and could get anything done with help of his contacts. He had even shared his photographs with BJP leaders at state-level and national-level events.

Prasad initially had demanded Rs 30 lakh from Jaishankar. Later, he had forcefully taken Rs 17.5 lakh, along with three blank cheque leaves.  When the professor realised that he was cheated, he confronted Prasad and asked him to return the money. But Attavar had issued life threats to him and also had abused him, the victim revealed in his complaint submitted to Kankanady Town Police Station. The police had filed a case under sections 406, 417, 420, 506, and 34 of IPC.

Prasad in the past had identified with fringe Hindu vigilantes and was prime accused in the Amnesia pub attack case in Mangaluru in 2009. He had served as district president Sri Rama Sene. A resident of Kudupu, on the outskirts of city, had even joined BJP in 2016. There are many cases against him in Mangaluru North and Mangaluru East Police Stations.

In fact, the police had even opened a rowdy register against him in Mangaluru North and Kankanady Town Police Stations, sources added.