Mangalore: Body Found near Railway Track, Murder Suspected
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Jul 20: A body was found near the railway track at Kodikere, Thokur under Jokatte panchayat here on Friday July 20 morning.
The person has been identified as Shivaraj (22), a mechanic at a car showroom at Kuntikan.
It is suspected to be a case of murder. Initial investigations indicated that he might have been strangled with a rope. Other injury marks were also found on the body, and it is said that he may have been murdered elsewhere and his body dumped on the track later.
Used as Bait?
The murder took place in the intervening night of Thursday July 20 and Friday July 21, and he was reportedly used by the culprits as a bait to get their hands on two others accused in the murder of rowdy Kabir.
Sources said that Shivaraj was working in the showroom till 10.30 pm on Thursday, after which a few people came in a white Maruti Omni and took him away with the excuse that they wanted him to repair another car. Before going with them, he reportedly went to his house in his bike, gave his wallet to his mother and then left in the Omni which had followed him to his house.
They took him to a deserted place and told him to call two of his friends who are accused in the murder of rowdy Kabir, who was killed on February 25, 2011. Kabir was one of the prime accused in murder cases of Polali Ananthu and Sukhanand Shetty. It may be mentioned here that Shivaraj was not an accused in Kabir's murder, though his friends were.
When Shivaraj refused to call them, his kidnappers allegedly killed him. The body was discovered by a Jokatte panchayat member at around 11 am on Friday.
Panambur police are investigating. The body has been shifted to the police station, after which it will be taken to Wenlock for post-mortem.
Kabir Murder Case: