Police get vital leads in Gauthami murder case

The police team that is investigating Gauthami’s murder at Pragathi School and PU College on Whitefield Railway Station Road, claims to have collected critical leads that would establish the motive of the murder and source of the weapon used to commit the murder.

“We have gathered critical leads that will surely help us locate the source of the 9mm pistol that was used by Mahesh, the attender, to murder Gauthami and injure her friend Shirisha. We will be able to disclose the source and supply chain in a couple of days,” a
senior police officer investigating the case, told Deccan Herald.

It looks like Mahesh was in touch with a few rowdies. He was also close to a few security guards from North, Northeast India and Nepal. These were the two sources from which he secured the weapon, the officer suspected.

“He is a hard nut to crack. He is making contradictory and fictitious statements only to mislead the police. We are working on certain credible leads and will ascertain the motive for the murder in a day or two,” P Harisekharan, Additional Commissioner of Police (East) said.
The police traced names of four girls in the diary recovered from his room.

Mahesh claimed that Gauthami and her friends insulted him by calling uncle. They would refer to him uncle in the public. He had warned them against calling him uncle, but in vain. Hence, he decided to teach them a lesson, he claimed.

The police said they were not ready to buy the theory as it is not convincing.
The police also clarified that there was no naxal connection to Gauthami’s murder case. Kandala Bayalu village in Agumbe is one of the naxal-affected areas in the Malnad region. Mahesh hailed from the village. Hence, some people are trying to link naxal angle with Gauthami’s murder case, the police added.

The police managed to record the statement of Shirisha, who is being treated at Manipal hospital.

She narrated how the incident took place, said the police.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Kimmane Ratnakar visited the hospital on Saturday and enquired Shirisha’s health.

Mahesh, 38, the attender barged inside the room of Gauthami at the hostel on the night of March 31 and opened fire at her killing her on the spot. Later, barged inside the room of Shirisha and made unsuccessful attempt to kill her.  Shirisha suffered injuries and was rushed to hospital.