Bajrang Dal worker found dead: Police

The case come to the fore after local residents found an abandoned bike on the old bridge of Panemangaluru and alerted the police.

A Bajrang Dal worker’s body was found in the Netravati river in Bantwal taluk of Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district on Thursday morning, police said on Friday.

A Bajrang Dal worker’s body was found in the Netravati river in Bantwal taluk of Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district. (Agencies/Representative use)

The police identified the deceased as 38-year-old Rajesh Pujari S, resident of Sajipa in Bantwal taluk.

The case come to the fore after local residents found an abandoned bike on the old bridge of Panemangaluru and alerted the police. The police launched a search operation and found Pujari’s body from the river, an official in the know of the matter said, adding that the body has been sent for post-mortem to find the “exact cause” behind the death.

“A two-wheeler was found near the bridge at night and the police started a search with the help of the fire brigade and local residents. During the search, Rajesh Pujari’s body was found in the river,” the police official said, requesting anonymity.

The police have registered an Unnatural Death Report (UDR) in connection with the matter at the Bantwal town police station, the official said.

“Further investigation is underway and we are awaiting the autopsy results to find the exact cause of the death,” the police added.