Udupi: Three more arrested in Saifuddin murder case, SP reveals premeditated plot

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Sep 30, 2025: The probe into the murder of AKMS private bus owner Saifuddin alias Saif (52), who operated transport services in Udupi and Mangaluru districts, has intensified with the arrest of three more suspects. Earlier, three accused were already in custody, taking the total to six, informed District Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar.

Among the newly arrested, Mohammad Sharif (37) and Abdul Shukur (43) of Mangaluru were also prime accused in the 2020 murder of Vasishtha under Hiriyadka police station limits. The third accused, Mohammad Faizal Khan (27), was a close associate of Saifuddin and managed his bus operations.

According to SP Shankar, Faizal Khan had taken Saifuddin from his Manipal residence to a house in Kodavoor, accompanied by two other accused. When Saifuddin entered a house near Salmar Nagabana, the trio attacked him with rods and swords, killing him on the spot.

Police revealed that Saifuddin, who owned AKMS buses, was a rowdy-sheeter at Udupi and Hiriyadka police stations with over 18 cases against him, including two murder cases. Investigators are probing whether the murder stemmed from personal rivalry or if the accused acted at someone else’s behest.

The SP stressed that the manner in which Saifuddin was lured from one location to another shows the crime was premeditated. Authorities are also investigating whether the accused received financial backing or were hired by others to carry out the killing.

SP Shankar further cautioned against unverified rumours being spread on social media that could disrupt communal harmony. He urged the public not to believe or circulate such misinformation, assuring that the police are pursuing the case thoroughly.