Police crack engineer Dilip murder case, arrest 4

Dual affair ends in murder, says SP Shashikumar

The police have arrested four persons in connection with the murder of an engineering graduate Dilip, said Superintendent of Police Shashikumar.

Speaking to presspersons, here on Tuesday, he said that the arrested are Vinay, an assistant manager in a private company in Bangalore, Prathap, working as a clerk in Sanenahalli, driver Paramesh and Narasimharaju, a tailor working in a garment factory. Another accused Meenakshi will be taken to custody, after she gets released from a hospital, who is undergoing treatment for ill-health in Hassan district.

The body of Dilip was found near a bridge at Kalasapura on February 14. Dilip is a computer science engineering graduate from AIT College in Chikmagalur. There was head injury on the body. As a few towels were found on the spot, the police had registered a murder case. A team under the leadership of DySP and rural station officer was created for cracking the case.

The SP said that Dilip had an affair with Meenakshi from Rajanasiriyooru in Hassan district. As their horoscope did not match, the parents opposed the marriage.

Meenakshi was also into an affair with Prathap from Sanenahalli. She was supposed to get married to him at Pushpagiri Kalyana Mantapa, on February 15. Thinking that Dilip will come in the way of her marriage, she along with her beau Prathap decided to kill Dilip. Accordingly, Meenakshi had asked Dilip to visit Basaveshwara temple near Halebeedu on February 13.

In the mean time, Prathap along with his friends too reached the temple. When Dilip was seen waiting for Meenakshi, they tried to catch hold him. However, when he tried to escape, they assaulted him with a rod. The accused tried to flee to Bangalore along with Dilip. They had even purchased two towels to check the bleeding. However, when they realised that he was dead, they dumped his body near Kalasapura along with the two-wheeler and created a scene of accident.

On February 15, Meenakshi and Prathap got married, to ensure that there was no room for suspicion.

The SP said that new towels found on the spot, mobile call lists led the police to the accused.

Deputy Superintendent of Police S L Nayak, and others were present.