Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur

Kundapur, Jul 31: A man was brutally shot dead in front of the Holy Rosary Church on Church Road here at around 3:30 am on Friday, July 31.

The deceased has been identified as Ivan Richard Mascarenhas (45), a native of Kachur, Barkur.

Ivan was reportedly involved in several business ventures. The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday when he was travelling in a car with a woman. An assailant allegedly opened fire on Ivan with a pistol and fled the scene. Ivan suffered severe blood loss and died on the spot.

The woman accompanying him has identified the accused, and the police have launched a manhunt to trace the absconding suspect. Preliminary investigations suggest that the murder may be linked to financial or other business-related disputes.

Udupi superintendent of police Hariram Shankar, additional SP Sudhakar Nayak, DySP H D Kulkarni, Kundapur town police inspector Jayaram Gowda, PSIs Nanja Nayak, Pushpa, and Anoop Nayak, among others, visited the crime scene. The Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) team also inspected the spot and conducted a detailed investigation.