Interesting twist to Bhasker Shetty murder case; accused priest absconding

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Aug 8,2016:  The case of murder of NRI entrepreneur and Udupi’s hotelier Bhasker Shetty has taken an interesting twist with the police who are investigating into the case, learning that Shetty’s wife Rajeshwari   was close with  Niranjan Bhat Asranna (26), a priest in whose house the body of Shetty was reportedly burnt during a Homa.

Though Niranjan Bhat had appeared before the police  when he was initially summoned for questioning,  he  had later   gone missing with his whereabouts not known. The police have now taken his father Srinivas Bhat into custody for questioning and also to rule out possibilities of destroying evidence.

Here it may be recalled that Bhasker Shetty  had gone missing on July 28 after which his mother Gulabi Shetty had lodged a complaint with the Manipal Police  and had also expressed suspicion over her daughter-in-law and even revealed the alleged close relation between his daughter-in-law and Niranjan.

It is said Niranjan who is a B.Com graduate  had taken up priesthood and astrology after his efforts to gain foothold in catering business and BPO failed. Sources said he had even tried his luck in KAS exams. People in the vicinity say Niranjan who initially had a bike had later purchased a car worth Rs 16 lakhs and also a flat.

It has been reliably gathered that Bhasker Shetty who had come to know of the closeness of his wife and Niranjan was questioning Rajeshwari over this and had even  not attended the inaugural of his son Navaneeth’s son. It is said his son had once kicked his father at the  Hotel Durga International which the latter owned and another time at their house.

Shetty was supposed to fly to Saudi Arabia on August 15 and planned to hand over his hotel to someone to run  on lease. Meanwhile, the suspicion is that Rajeshwari and Navaneeth who feared that they would lose their share of property  had decided to eliminate him.