KARKALA: A timber merchant was brutally hacked to death by a gang of unidentified assailants at Kukkunje near here on Thursday night.
The deceased has been identified as Yatish Shetty, a resident of Donderangadi. The incident took place at around 8.30 pm when Yatish was on his way home in his Omni car along with three of his accomplices, after taking part in a cock fighting.
The gang of three assailants who were in an Indica car, chased Yatish’s vehicle and intercepted it near Bandasale by colliding their vehicle against it. The trio later dragged Shetty out of the car and attacked him before fleeing. Though Shetty was immediately admitted to the Manipal Hospital, he had breathed his last by then.
Hiriadka police have registered a case and are conducting the investigations.
Meanwhile, police have suspected the hands of notorious rowdy Santhu alias Santosh of Hiriadka, behind the murder. Santhu was identified as an accused in the case of murder of Hiriadka’s Bhajrangdal leader Sudhaker Poojari during the 2004 assembly elections. Later on he was acquitted of the charges. Reports say Yatish Shetty had opposed the illicit relationship which Santhu had with a woman of Donderangady since some time. Shetty, it is learnt, had even picked up a quarrel with the woman over this issue a couple of days ago.
It is also being said that the woman who was fed up with Shetty’s opposition to her affair with Santhu, had given Santhu the supari to finish of Yatish Shetty.
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