Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Aug 16: Several things connected with entrepreneur, Bhaskar Shetty's murder seem to be quite strange, confusing, and vague. The calm and composure of the accused, the fact that they have not cracked and given out full details of the crime, and that the evidences collected so far do not appear to be sufficient enough to prove the crime, suggest that something is wrong, although the police have been claiming that the investigation is moving in the right direction.

Rajeshwari and Navaneeth

Niranjan Bhat

Srinivas Bhat and Raghavendra

The case has kicked up lot of interest so far because of twists and turns it has been associated with. Brain mapping, narco analysis etc might help but unless the accused agree for these procedures,it is said, they cannot be imposed on them.

Although the police have been putting up a brave face, it is said that forensic experts are of the opinion that reliable evidences about the current status of the body would be necessary to prove that Shetty has been killed.

Well-rehearsed story

There is suspicion that the accused would have woven a well-rehearsed story that was cooked up in advance after studying various guidelines on how to hoodwink investigators and destroy evidences. In all likelihood, legal experts, leaders of reputation and police personnel would have joined together in drawing up an elaborate plan about eliminating a person and not getting caught. Considering the huge money power the concerned wield, it is not impossible to hire some of the best brains in this business.

The confessions if any extracted by the police will have to be backed by proper evidences so as to prove the guilt. In this case, the accused seem to have planned what to say if questioned, in advance. For example, Niranjan Bhat has often been evading answers to questions by claiming that he had forgotten things. Therefore, investigation will have to be undertaken in a manner that is unexpected by the accused by people who are well-versed with these kinds of crimes, many argue.

The major obstacle in the case appears to be inability of the police to find the body. In many criminal cases police are able to put together evidences within a couple of days and they are able to come out in the open with elaborate details. In this case, even after 19 days since Shetty went missing, no concrete evidence to prove that he is no more, are available.

Bhaskar Shetty's wife, son and Niranjan Bhat, who are said to be the perpetrators of this crime, have no criminal background and hence the likelihood of them drawing a fool-proof plot on their own is highly unlikely. The police should have been able to easily bring out the entire truth from them in the initial stage itself, but this does not seem to have happened. Some feel that pressure should have been exerted and all details should have been collected from the accused at the first instance itself like in most other cases, which was not done as the police did not take the case seriously then. This perhaps gave a long rope to the accused to perfect their strategies and destroy evidences.

Even after the family members of Shetty held protest in front of Manipal police station on August 6 and revealed the names of the accused, investigation did not gain speed, although the missing case was turned into murder case. After the investigating officer was changed, there has been some progress.

Money transfer

The police have since begun investigation over heavy transfer of money stated to have been affected from the accounts of the accused. In the charge sheet, circumstantial evidences will have to be matched with scientific proof and evidences for conclusively convincing the courts about the crime having been committed.

Forensic expert opinion

A forensic expert, speaking to the representative of a Kannada daily, pointed out that the hall where the body reportedly was burnt by using petrol and other things had not turned black,although in normal course thick soot and carbon produced during the combustion should have blackened the entire surroudning. In his opinion, burnt ashes and bones cannot be used for DNA matching as they do not contain live cells. A live cell which is burnt and remains in water loses its quality in a few days. In the case of blood stains found from the house, the accused have the opportunity to argue that the stains belong to the son, who lives in that house and whose DNA might match.

It is strongly felt that one or the other concluding evidence should have been available at the hall where it is claimed that the body was burnt, if this fact was true. The claim that a large number of sacs containing waste were thrown into the rivulets also smacks of suspicion as residue available at the end of incineration of human body is only a small quantity, it has been pointed out.

Complete coverage:

• Udupi: Bhaskar murder - Departmental inquiry ordered against CI Girish
• Udupi: Bhaskar murder- Niranjan Bhat dumped residues in three rivulets
• Udupi : Three police teams get busy on Bhaskar Shetty murder trail
• Udupi: Cops behaving like puppets, Bunt leaders tell Oscar
• Udupi: Shetty murder - blood-stained clothes of Niranjan, Rajeshwari found
• Udupi: Temporary Homakunda used for Shetty's murder - police custody for Niranjan
• Udupi: VIP treament to Shetty murder accused - Police defend meal at hotel
• Udupi: Exclusive - 'Bhaskar never confided in me', says mother Gulabi 
• Udupi: Rajeshwari, Navaneeth produced in court, police custody extended till Aug 16
• Udupi: Navaneeth was test tube baby, claims kin; another relative denies
• Udupi: Ear stud removed from Niranjan's intestine, police custody soon
• Udupi: Bhaskar murder 'rarest of rare', says lawyer, accuses cops of botching up probe
• Udupi: Niranjan's father produced in court, cops try to evade media in vain
• Udupi: Investigation into Bhaskar Shetty murder case gains momentum
• Udupi: Will ask home minister to depute SP Annamalai in Bhaskar case: Madhwaraj
• Udupi: Bhaskar murder - Police arrest Niranjan's father; find bones in Palli river
• Udupi: Will he, won't he? Hegde says no decision yet on representing Rajeshwari
• Udupi: Opposites attract? Rajeshwari-Niranjan - Dissimilar traits, similar fates
• Udupi : Slow progress in Bhaskar Shetty murder - Investigation officer replaced ?
• Udupi: Bhaskar's kin urge fair probe, Bunt community flays lawyer Ratnakar Hegde
• Udupi: Niranjan Bhat attempts suicide in Manipal police station
• Udupi: Stony-faced and stylish, slain Bhaskar's wife, son baffle onlookers
• Udupi: Bhaskar Shetty murder - Son Navaneeth was fond of crime serials
• Udupi: Bhaskar Shetty murder - Niranjan Bhat arrested, taken to Nandalike
• Udupi : Niranjan Bhat's love for luxurious life and Bhaskar Shetty murder case
• Udupi: Bhaskar Shetty murder - As cops hunt for Niranjan Bhat, wife's affair angle emerges
• Udupi: Missing hotelier Bhaskar Shetty murdered, body burnt to ashes
• Udupi: Hotelier Bhaskar Shetty goes missing, mother says kidnapped