Murder of former panchayat president was supari killing over financial dispute, says Udupi SP Hariram Shankar
The three accused had arrived in Mudarangadi about two months ago while A1 Raju’s bank account was credited ₹2 lakh in stages
Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar has revealed that the murder of David D’Souza, a former panchayat president, was a result of a financial dispute over UPCL contracts. The preliminary probe showed that D’Souza, a contractor, was targeted by the accused over a ₹2 crore to ₹3 crore contract. The chief suspect, Raju, was found guilty of shooting D’Souza with a 9 mm pistol, and over ₹2 lakh was traced to his bank account.
The investigation is also probing the source of the money and the identities of those who paid. A special team has been formed to track down a person with links to North India who allegedly offered a supari, or contract killing, to D’Souza. The three accused arrived in Mudarangadi two months ago and planned the crime together, though they didn't know each other well as they introduced themselves using false names.
Raju, the primary suspect, has a record of 26 murder cases, assault on women, and robbery in five states, while the other two accused have 12 and eight cases respectively. Authorities have sealed the district's borders and conducted extensive checks at Udupi and Bhatkal railway stations to prevent the accused from escaping. The investigation is ongoing, with focus on mobile phones and SIM cards for further leads.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
