Mangaluru: Man allegedly killed for helping accused’s wife elope; two Bihar natives arrested

Mangaluru: Man allegedly killed for helping accused’s wife elope; two Bihar natives arrested

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jun 15, 2026: Panambur police have solved the murder case of an unidentified man whose body was found in a drain inside the MSEZ premises at Jokatte on June 10, cracking the case within 72 hours. Two Bihar natives have been arrested in connection with the crime, with police stating that personal enmity and alleged defamation were the primary motives behind the murder.

The arrested accused have been identified as Prashant Kumar (36), a native of Darbhanga district in Bihar who was residing near Vijaya Vittala Bhajana Mandir in Jokatte, and Pinku Mahto (33) from Vaishali district, Bihar. During the investigation, the deceased was identified as Chandan Chauhan (39), a native of Purnia district in Bihar.

According to police, the prime accused, Prashant Kumar, had been working as a welder at MRPL but was confined to his home after suffering injuries in an accident. In April this year, his wife allegedly eloped with another man. Police said Prashant suspected that Chandan Chauhan had helped his wife leave home.

Investigators further revealed that Chandan had allegedly been spreading rumours that Prashant’s wife had eloped with a younger man because Prashant had been bedridden following the accident. Enraged by these allegations, Prashant allegedly plotted to kill Chandan.

On the evening of June 9, at around 6 pm, Prashant, along with his associate Pinku Mahto, allegedly intercepted Chandan Chauhan and assaulted him with a wooden stick, inflicting severe injuries to his head and face. The accused then allegedly slit his throat with a knife, killing him on the spot. They later disposed of the body in an MSEZ drain near a rented house in Jokatte before fleeing the scene.

The murder came to light on the morning of June 10 when a man identified as Kishore spotted the body and alerted the police. Following the registration of a case, Panambur police launched an intensive investigation and arrested the main accused, Prashant Kumar, late on June 13 from Madgaon Railway Station in Goa, where he had reportedly gone into hiding. The second accused, Pinku Mahto, was arrested in Jokatte.

The swift action by the Panambur police in solving the murder case within a short span has drawn appreciation from the public.