Bhatkal: Police have arrested all five accused named in the case involving a knife attack on three persons, including two police personnel, in Murdeshwar. The accused were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody and lodged in Karwar jail.

The incident took place in the intervening night of August 8 and 9 on the service road of National Highway 66 near Murdeshwar Naka, when a group of men allegedly attacked a man identified as Manoj Naik with knives.

Police personnel Vinayak Shetty and Sangappa Harijan, who were on patrol duty and had reached the spot following information about a disturbance, intervened in an attempt to protect Manoj Naik. The accused allegedly attacked the two police personnel as well, leaving all three injured. The injured police personnel were given initial treatment locally before being shifted to a hospital in Udupi for further treatment. Both have since been discharged from the hospital after completing treatment.

Following the incident, Murdeshwar police registered a case against Raju Naik alias Kaddi Raju, Hrithik Naik, Madan Naik, Yogesh Naik, Darshan Naik and others, and formed two special teams to trace the accused.

Three accused were arrested on Sunday, a day after the incident. Police subsequently arrested the fourth accused on Tuesday and the fifth and last accused on Wednesday, completing the arrests in the case.

The arrested accused have been identified as Raju Madhav Naik alias Kaddi Raju, Hrithik Madhav Naik, Madan Naik, Yogesh Naik and Darshan Naik. All five are residents of Murdeshwar, police said.

According to police, the accused have been booked under various provisions, including those relating to obstruction of public servants in the discharge of their duties, assault on police personnel and attempt to murder.

Murdeshwar PSI Loknath Rathore and PSI Hanumant Biradar are investigating the case under the guidance of Bhatkal DySP Girish and Murdeshwar Circle Inspector Jagdish Hanchinal.