Police nab 4 in connection with Umesh Rai murder

Police nab 4 in connection with Umesh Rai murder

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Sep 24: Dr. A. Subrahmanyeshwar Rao, the superintendent of police, told reporters during a press conference that the police have arrested D. Ammanna Rai, the former president of Puttur Agricultural Market Committee; his brother-in-law Jayaram Shetty of Badagannur; and Ramachandra Naik and Ramakrishna Naik of Badagannur in connection with the murder of rowdy Tingalady Umesh Rai (36). He added that breach of trust on the part of the victim might have been the cause of the murder.

 

 

 

 

On March 31, 2010, Soumya Rai, the wife of Umesh Rai, had lodged a complaint at the Puttur rural police station that her husband had disappeared. She stated in her complaint that her husband had left home at 5 p.m. on March 26 to visit Jayaraj Shetty. He was driving an unregistered Maruti Alto belonging to a friend. She had stated that her husband had called up to inform her that he would spend the night in Jayaraj’s house. On March 30, Jayaraj called her to inform her that her husband had been taken away by the Belgaum police and that he will be back in 2 weeks. Accordingly, the police had registered a case.

The Maruti Alto was found abandoned near Kasargod railway station on April 9, 2010, but Rai was still missing. In the meantime, people began gossiping that Rai had fled to Kerala and gotten converted into Islam. His brother, who was interrogated by the police, could not give any information. Even his wife could not obtain any further information regarding the whereabouts of Rai.

The police were aware that Umesh handled property disputes, settled brawls, and got into several fights. On observing that Jayaraj Shetty had kept away from his house nearly 45 days after the disappearance of Rai, the police became suspicious and intensified their investigations. Learning that Shetty was to visit home on September 23, the police lay in wait for him and nabbed him as soon as he turned up. He confessed that he and Ammanna suspected that Rai passed secret information about Muttappa Rai to his enemy groups. A furious Muttappa Rai had therefore ordered him to be killed. Based on the information provided by the arrested, the police are taking steps to retrieve the body of Umesh Rai, which is buried near the farm house.

A police team led by B. K. Manjaiah, the circle inspector of Puttur rural, and S. Anand, the sub inspector, conducted the investigation, said the SP.