Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Feb 9: The two bodies that were found floating in Netravati river at Panjala of Uppinangady village have been identified as those of Ganesh (40) and Suresh Babu (35) from Uduma Palakunnu in Kasargod district. The relatives of the two recognized the bodies on Sunday February 8. Both the deceased are brothers and married, they informed.

The brothers were hired as recovery agents and for seizing assets from defaulting borrowers, by some private finance companies. They had left Kasargod two days ago, on some work, it is gathered. The Uppinangady police have registered a case of murder, relating to the recovery of these bodies.

Acting on a complaint submitted by the vice-president of Uppinangady gram panchayat, the policemen, in the first information report filed in the court, have mentioned that the men were murdered elsewhere and their bodies were thrown into the river for destroying the evidence.

A mobile phone found at the site has been identified as belonging to Manjunat from Adkathbail in Kasargod, in whose finance company too the two worked as recovery agents. When the policemen tried to contact Manjunath over another number, they got the reply, 'not reachable', giving rise to doubts. No vehicles were found near the site where the bodies were found. The police are concentrating on the theory that the two were killed relating to financial dealings. The bodies were thrown into the river late night when movement of vehicle is sparse and the location where the bodies were found is by the side of national highway 48.

The policemen are gathering information of calls made and received from the mobile set found by them. Puttur additional superintendent of police Dr Chandragupta visited the spot and guided the investigations. Puttur rural circle inspector B K Manjaiah is investigating.