Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (JD)
Udupi, Jul 15: “The main accused in the Ananda Devadiga murder case, Sadananda Sherigar, had planned to end his life after charring the former to death” said S T Siddalingappa, additional superintendent of police (ASP), Udupi district.
Sharing details of the crime with the media persons, Siddalingappa said, “On July 13, we received information about a charred car in the Henberu forest area. A skeleton was also found inside the car. The chassis number and the vehicle number were also burnt into ashes. Our teams identified the car model. When we traced the CCTV footage of two tollgates, the police team found out that the same car had passed Sasthan toll gate at 10:30 pm and the CCTV footage showed a lady getting down from the car and paying the toll fee. We became damn sure that there were two persons in the car and suspected the lady to be deceased. The traced car number helped us to identify Sadananda Devadiga and Police teams visited Karkala.
“Sadananda Devadiga had called his brother on July 13 morning and insisted that his brother file a missing case of himself. This was a turning point in the investigation process. Our teams led by Shrikanth, DySP Kundapur and Vinay, Gangolli PSI Pavan, Byndoor PSI took the initiative. We suspected that Shilpa might be the deceased, but in due course of time our teams faced a hard truth that both Shilpa and Sadananda were alive and a third person had been charred to death.”
“Sadananda Devadiga was working as a certified surveyor. He had created a false map and was facing detention in that case. He feared that he would end up in jail. He had decided to commit suicide and had shared the same with his brothers- in-law Sathish and Nithyananda. But they opposed this decision of Sadananda and assured him of a plan to solve the issue to save Sadananda. Inspired by a Malayalam movie ‘Kurup’, they planned to create a murder story and depict that Sadanada was murdered. Shilpa was given the task of identifying the person to be murdered. They identified the person to match the exact features of Sadananda including the age,” Siddalingappa added.
Speaking about the sequence of incidents that happened on July 12, Siddalingappa said, “On July 12 Shilpa invited Ananda to her house. She offered him some alcohol mixed with sleeping pills. After Ananda falls asleep Sadananda Sherigar arrives at Shilpa’s house and both travel towards Byndoor. Sathish and Nithyananda were informed earlier to arrive at Byndoor in another vehicle to pick them back. Sadananda Sherigar had brought 7 litres of petrol with him and he bought another two litres on the way to Byndoor. Ananda Devadiga was burnt alive. At 2 am Sathish and Nithyananda reach the spot and pick Shilpa and Sadananda and drop them in Karkala. All the four had planned to depict that Sadananda has been murdered and thus make Sadananda safe from detention,” he said.
“After committing the crime Shilpa and Sadananda had boarded a bus to Bengaluru. But Sadananda repented his crime and so he decided to return to Karkala and end his life and both of them returned from Hassan. They boarded at Moodbidri and took another bus to Karkala. But they got arrested at Pulkeri bypass in Karkala by our team,” the ASP added.
Western range IGP Devajyoti Ray announces cash prize of Rs 50,000
“Western range IGP Devajyoti Ray has announced Rs 50,000 for the team that cracked the case of setting fire to a car and the person in it,” said Udupi district SP N Vishnuvardhan.
Speaking to news reporters after visiting Byndoor police station he said that the team was formed in connection with the theft of gold jewellery and setting fire and killing the person along with the car. “The case is solved quickly. Western range IGP has commended the work of the team,” he said.
“Further investigations into the case are in progress and the details will be disclosed later. There is information about unauthorized shops operating in Byndoor limits. We will be cooperating with the town panchayat which is vacating them,” he said.
Kundapur sub division assistant SP Srikanth K, police circle inspector Santhosh Kaikini, Byndoor police sub inspector Pavan Nayak and Gangolli police sub inspector Vinay Korlahalli were present.
Western range IGP Devajyoti Ray visited Byndoor police station and obtained details of the incident. He left after the announcement of Rs 50,000 reward to the team that cracked the case.