Bengaluru: The prime suspect in the brutal murder of four members of a family at Nejaru in Udupi district has been arrested, two senior police officers in the know of the development said on Tuesday.
The suspect, identified as Praveen, was arrested from Kudachi in Belagavi district, said one of the officers on the condition of anonymity.
According to the officer, Praveen, originally from Sangli in Maharashtra, was employed as a security guard at Mangalore airport. The Udupi deputy SP-led team tracked and arrested him in Belagavi, where he had sought refuge at a relative’s house. The arrest was facilitated through mobile tower location tracking, the officer added.
When asked about the arrest, Udupi superintendent of police Arun Kumar didn’t confirm it. He, however, said, “We are verifying multiple suspects. We are likely to get a clear picture tomorrow (Wednesday).”
Haseena (46) and her three children - Afnan (23), Aynaz (21), and Aseem (12) -- were stabbed to death in Tripti Nagar area of Udupi taluk on Sunday. Another family member, Hajira (70), sustained stab injuries and is currently receiving treatment.
SP Arun Kumar had told the media that the attacker had hired an auto from Santhekatte to Tripti Nagar around 8:30 am on Sunday. The assassin suddenly broke into Hasina’s house and stabbed four people with a knife. The boy who was playing outside the house entered the house after hearing the commotion and he was stabbed too.
{{/usCountry}}SP Arun Kumar had told the media that the attacker had hired an auto from Santhekatte to Tripti Nagar around 8:30 am on Sunday. The assassin suddenly broke into Hasina’s house and stabbed four people with a knife. The boy who was playing outside the house entered the house after hearing the commotion and he was stabbed too.
{{/usCountry}}The killer who stabbed five people in just 15 minutes. “ We suspect it could be a case of personal enmity, as no evidence of theft has been found during the investigation,” Kumar said.
Shyam, an auto-rickshaw driver, provided crucial information about the suspect’s movements. The accused, arriving from Santhekatte, reportedly used Shyam’s rickshaw to reach Tripti Layout in Nejaru.
Speaking to the media, Shyam said, “Between 8:30 am and 9 am on Sunday, an individual on a two-wheeler hailed my rickshaw on Queen’s Road. He directed me to take him to Tripti Layout in Nejaru. Accordingly, I dropped him off at the gate of the house where the murder occurred.”
“After leaving the house, within 15 minutes, he returned to the Santhekatte auto stand and boarded another rickshaw in the queue. This time, I recognised him and mentioned that I would have waited if he had returned so soon. He didn’t mind and instructed the new rickshaw driver to hurry up,” Shyam added.
The accused, who had travelled towards Mangaluru after the murders, employed tactics, such as changing clothes and using strong perfume to mask the smell of blood. The police are conducting further investigations to unravel the motive behind the horrific crime. SP Arun Kumar emphasised that multiple suspects are being verified, and a clearer picture is expected to emerge in the coming days.
On Tuesday, home minister G Parameshwar personally assured Noor Mohammad, the head of the affected family, of a swift arrest.