Yahya Hallare
Daijiworld Media Network - Bhatkal
Bhatkal, Sep 20: As expected, Bhatkal police have arrested three more persons in connection with the murder of Jali gram panchayat vice-president Abdul Salam Damda.
The arrested are Baddi Krishna, Mastappa Devi Das Naik and Jagadesh Moger from Tengungundi here. They were produced in court on Monday September 19.
Jagadesh, who was absconding ever since the arrest of the main accused, Pundalik Naik, was arrested from Karwar with the help Karwar police.
Jagadesh has been remanded in judicial custody till October 3 by the first class magistrate court.
The police had earlier arrested Pundalik Naik, the main accused who was produced in Kumta court and remanded in police custody till Tuesday September 20. Police also seized Rs 3 lac out of the Rs 5 lac which was with Salam. His mobile phone was also confiscated.
From Jagadesh, police recovered Rs 1.5 lac and his watch.
Police also paid a visit to a jewellery store in Shirali near Pundalik's laboratory outlet and seized Rs 40,000.
The duo reportedly told the police that they offered a drugged cold drink to Salam after drinking which he passed out. They then strangled him to death and threw his body at a jungle in Sirsi-Kumta road.
However, anxiety gripped them over whether Salam had really died, and so the next day they returned to the place to make sure.
It is said that it was Pundalik Naik who directed Jagadesh to strangle Salam.
On September 6, the day Salam went misssing, all the four accused accompanied him to Sirsi in Pundalik's Zen Estilo, and from there to Kumta. His body was found on September 11.