Puttur murder case: Killer nabbed in Kundapur

DHNS

Mangalore, 16 June 2010: With the arrest of a 24-year-old youth in Kundapur, the special team formed to crack Puttur murder case, has solved the case in less than 10 days.

Informing the same to media persons here on Tuesday, Superintendent of Police Dr A S Rao said the arrested Madhava Naik, had approached Bharath Finance in Mangalore on June 4, seeking Rs 1,15,000 to release the pledged gold in a co-operative bank in Puttur. Naik had identified himself as Ganesh from Puttur, to the Financiers and he had sought money to help his friend to release the pledged gold. He had also assured to sell the gold to them and sought commission for the same.

The Financiers, who believed Ganesh (Naik), sent one of their staff, Gangadhar Acharya, with him to Puttur. However, hours after they left, both went missing, following which a missing complaint was lodged at Mangalore North police station. Upon inquiry, Acharya’s mobile was tracked by a mobile tower at Kodimbadi in Puttur. On the following day (June 5), Acharya’s wounded body was found in a 25-feet deep ditch, following which a murder case was registered at Puttur police station.

As Ganesh was missing, police suspected Ganesh’s hand in the murder. A special team formed by SP, succeeded in re-creating a portrait of the accused and released it to all media. One of the informers identified the person as Madhava Naik from Kalladka. In the subsequent search, the accused was arrested when he was trying to board a bus to Mumbai at Kundapur on June 15.

The SP said that the police recovered Rs 93,420 from Naik, besides the mobile and the weapon used to commit the crime. The SP also said that Naik reportedly killed Acharya to repay the loan obtained by him. In fact, he had already given some money to his sister and mother, and the same has been seized.

Naik, a commission agent and a part time worker at a catering stall in Mangalore, has two theft cases against him in Manipal police station. The SP announced a cash award of Rs 5,000 to the team led by Puttur Inspector Srikanth K for solving the case, which was clueless, in a short span of 10 days.