Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod (EP)
Kasargod, Jan 31: Special investigating team has arrested a man in connection with the recent murder of a dealer in jewellery at Kanyana.
The accused has been identified as Abdul Salam (30), a resident of Kanyana Karopadi Mithanadka. His accomplice is said to be absconding.
Accused Abdul Salam (L) and victim Mansoor Ali
The investigation has been extended to Tamil Nadu as Ashraf is a resident of that state.
The murder had occurred on January 25 evening. The duo had kidnapped Vidyanagar Chettunguli resident Mansoor Ali (42), killed him and thrown his dead body in a deserted well at Uppala and fled.
The locals saw blood stains and broken glass pieces of a vehicle leading to the well. When they looked in, they found the body.
Manjeshwar police and fire brigade lifted the body out and conducted post-mortem. An amount of Rs 1.10 lac was found in the pocket of the deceased.
The police conducted investigation with the help of CCTV footage from a neighbouring house and calls received in the mobile phone, and were able to arrest one accused. The accused had fled to Ullal after the incident. They were absconding in Mangaluru and other places the day after the incident.
Police had kept a close watch on the movements of the accused and arrested him at his house after receiving information that he had reached there. The accused were into jewellery and land deals. Police say that the murder was committed for money but are investigating other angles too.
The slain Mansoor Ali and accused Abdul Salam had met one-and-a-half-years ago when they had come to a finance company at Uppala to pledge gold.
As their rapport strengthened, they had made four jewellery deals between them. Abdul Salam informed his friend Ashraf about it. Both allegedly hatched a conspiracy to kill Mansoor. They were planning for it for the last one-and-a-half-months, police sources said.
Abdul Salam called up Mansoor on January 25 and said that he had 25 sovereigns of gold for sale and asked him to come to Bayar in Uppala. Mansoor came by scooter till Karandakkad and proceeded to Uppala Kaikamba by bus. Ashraf later took Mansoor to a deserted place at Chakkaraguli, Muligadde in Bayar. The accused then allegedly splashed chilli powder in Mansoor's eyes and hit him on the head with an iron rod. Though Mansoor tried to escape, they chased him and hit him on the head again. As he collapsed, they threw him in a deserted well about one hundred meters away from the place of the assault and fled, police sources said.
The accused had snatched a bag from Mansoor containing Rs 5.5 lac in cash while they were in the van. From the money, Ashraf gave Rs 1.5 lac to Salam, it is said.
Hunt is on to nab Ashraf.