Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (UM)
Udupi, Jul 14: A man was found murdered in a car in a deserted area off the main road at Ontibettu under Hiriadka police limits here on Thursday July 14.
The deceased has been identified as Sheikh Mohammed Tasneem (35), a resident of Kemmannu.
His body was found in a black Volkswagen Polo car, about 300 metres off the main road.
As there were no blood stains and no signs of struggle around the body, police suspect that he might have been murdered somewhere else on the night of Wednesday July 13 and his body brought in the car and left at the spot.
One of his fingers was found to be disjointed.
A hockey stick, an umbrella, a diary and a bag, whose contents are yet to be revealed, were found in the car.
Sources said that as a college student, Tasneem had a notorious record and was associated with vehicle thieves. He had also been arrested and sentenced in connection to car thefts in Manipal. After his release, his family sent him abroad to seek employment.
It is alleged that after returning from abroad, he developed a relationship with a girl from the same community, but her parents were opposed to their marriage. He then eloped with the girl to Mumbai, and a case of abduction was filed against him by the girl's family, sources said. The girl's uncle obtained a habeas corpus from the court against Tasneem. Tasneem then returned to Udupi having married the girl. Sources said that some community-based groups refused to involve him.
Sources also said that Tasneem was working in Manipal.
ASP Vishnuwardhan, DySp Kumaraswamy, Manipal circle inspector S V Girish, Brahmavar circle inspector Arun Kumar arrived at the spot and investigated.