Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Jull 16: One of the two accused, Rakshak, accused of murdering bus conductor, Prashanth Poojary, who was arrested by the police from Perdoor on Sunday, was remanded by the court on Monday to three days police custody to enable the police to continue with their murder probe.
Rakshak (19), a native of Perdoor, Alangaru, was granted loan of Rs 50,000 through a cooperative society at Perdoor at the behest of Prashanth Poojary. Rakshak's friends, Sachin and Jerald, had agreed to be guarantors for the loan. Rakshak was not prompt in repayment of the loan. Prodded by the society, Prashanth had questioned Rakshak about faltering in repaying the loan. This angered Rakshak, who planned Prashanth's murder, it is learnt.
On the night of Thursday July 11, Rakshak and Sachin had dinner at a hotel at Perdoor. They then came to the residence of Prashanth at Byrampalli and knocked at his door. Prashanth was in deep slumber after finishing dinner. After he got up and came out, Rakshak wanted to know what right Prashanth had to question him, duly reminding him that a commission of Rs 5,000 had been paid for getting the loan sanctioned. On this occasion, strong words were exchanged between the trio.
By the time Prashanth's wife, Vijaya, got up on hearing the sounds, she saw that her husband was lying on the ground and Rakshak, who was sitting atop him, was attacking Prashanth. Vijaya brought out a machete from inside the house and threatened Rakshak to let go of her husband. Sachin then snatched away the machete held by Vijaya, pushed her inside the house, closed the door, after which Sachin repeatedly hit Prashanth with the machete, Rakshak too took the machete and began to indiscriminately hit Prashanth with the machete. Both of them hit Prashanth with the machete 52 times. After realizing that the victim had died, they escaped. As the motor bike they had brought had fallen down because of broken stand and failing to lift it up immediately, they left the two-wheeler behind.
Rakshak, after the murder, went home and slept, duly acting as if nothing had happened. But Sachin who tried to steal from the petrol bunk where he worked, was about to be nabbed. He then went away to visit his in-laws living at Tumakuru, it is said. Sachin had only Rs 2,000 with him. As he knew he needed more money to keep away from the police, he tried to steal cash from the petrol bunk where he worked, by using a key he had with him. The other staff got up at the sound, and before they caught him, Sachin fled from there. Police sources have information that he changed his mind and left for Mumbai.
Brahmavar police circle inspector, Srikanth Nayak, who is the investigating officer in the case, expressed confidence of arresting Sachin at the earliest.