3 from Bengaluru arrested in Handibag suicide case

The CID police on Thursday arrested three people, including a student of a private college in Bengaluru, in connection with the suicide of DySP Kallappa Handibag.

The suspects were identified as Jeevan Raj, 20, a body builder from Halasuru, Yashas, 21, a student of a private college from Gayatrinagar, and Keerthi, 23, a driver also from Gayathrinagar. The trio was close associates of the prime suspect in the case and Shivamogga region VHP secretary Praveen Khandya. The three would be produced before a local court in Chikkamagaluru on Friday. The police would seek police custody of the three to get clues about Khandya’s whereabouts, said a senior police officer.

The number of arrests in the case so far has gone up to seven. Kalmane Chit Funds operator Nataraj, Bajrang Dal state committee member Pradeep, student of a private college in Bengaluru Abhiram and the bouncer of a club in Bengaluru Joy Milton are in judicial custody. Khandya, Naveen Shetty and his son Ashwin Shetty are still at large.

“The trio was arrested from different parts of the city. Yashas and Keerthi provided logistics to Khandya in kidnapping financier Tejas Gowda. Gowda was kept at Jeevan Raj’s house in Halasuru,” said a senior police officer. Meanwhile, police recorded the statement of Nataraj’s brother Mohan on Thursday. The Chikkamagaluru police had detained him on Wednesday. Gowda had lost Rs 25 lakh in cricket betting to Nataraj.

Nataraj had sought Khandya’s help in recovering money from Gowda. Khandya got in touch with a senior police officer in Chikkamgaluru for the recovery of money. The police officer did not help Khandya on time, police said.