Man held for kin's murder

N'gud police bust murder mystery following confession by accused

In an incident that could well be a plot for a potboiler, a 42-year-old man who had murdered his close relative in the city, before disposing the body 30 km away near the temple town in  Nanjangud, has been arrested by the police. The accused had succeeded in escaping the hawk eyes of the police, passing through the checkpost near APMC Market in Bandipalya on the highway road after committing the crime.

Addressing the media at his office on Wednesday, Superintendent of Police Abhinav Khare said that K R Rajashekar from Vidyaranyapuram in the city has been arrested on the charge of murdering Mahadeva Chandraraj alias Chetan. Chetan’s elder brother Shivakumar is married to Rajashekar’s younger sister.

Chetan, a resident of Kollegal town had gone missing from March 20. Shivakumar who came across the news of the remains of a burnt body found in Nanjangud police limits had approached the latter, suspecting that it could be of his brother. 

What gave credence to Shivakumar’s suspicion was the wrist watch found on the body, the only material evidence along with the skeletal remains gathered from the spot. 

When the police team led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Dr P Raja began the investigations, the needle of suspicion pointed towards Rajashekar. When quizzed, Rajashekar confessed to the crime.

Rajashekar, a second divisional assistant at JSS Pharmacy College, Bannimantap in the city had borrowed Rs five lakh from Chetan for interest. When Rajashekar failed to pay back, Chetan had begun to pester the former for the amount.

Ill-fated day

Quoting his (Rajashekar) confessional statement, Raja said that on that ill fated day (March 20) Rajashekar called Chetan over phone telling him that he would settle the amount. Unaware of the fate to befall upon him, Chetan came to Rajashekar’s house in his car in the afternoon. Rajashekar offered him a soft drink spiked with an overdose of sleeping pills rendering him unconscious. 

Rajashekar smothered Chetan with the help of the latter’s shirt, killing him in no time. He later dragged the body to the victim’s car parked in front of the house and huddled it in between the seat and the dash board, in the front row, next to driver’s seat. To avoid any trouble, Rajashekar closed the wind screen of the car with sun screen. The house located in the remote corner came to his advantage in shifting the body with ease, the SP added.

Disposal

The SP said that the car with Chetan’s body inside remained in front of the house till the following morning (March 21). Around 7 am, Rajashekar left for Nanjangud, and disposed the body at a field in Kurahatti village off Nanjangud-Ooty road, where he set it ablaze.

Interestingly, before setting the body afire, Rajashekar returned to Mysore in Chetan’s car and parked it at his work place (college). He went home and took his own car along with firewood and camphor to Nanjangud to accomplish his plan.

The following day (March 22), Rajashekar went to the spot where he had disposed the body, on his two-wheeler, to confirm that the body is fully burnt.

The story didn’t end here, as Rajashekar wanted to get rid of Chetan’s car. He drove the car till the outskirts of Maddur town in Mandya district, where he abandoned it. He returned to Mysore by bus.