Bengaluru, Sep 24 (Deccan Chronicle): The city police who have arrested the four accused in the kidnapping and murder of 19-year-old Sharath, son of an I-T officer, have now intensified manhunt to nab another accused in the case, Shantha Kumar, who is still at large.

The police have, meanwhile, taken the four accused into their custody on Saturday and are interrogating them. Multiple teams have been formed to nab the accused who is said to be working as an agent along with the main accused Vishal (21) at an RTO Office. Both Shantha Kumar and Vishal are said to be in deep financial crises and were looking for a way to get out of it.

Sharath was kidnapped and killed by five accused Vishal, Vinay Prasad alias Vicky (24), Karan Pai alias Karna (22), Vinodkumar V (21) and Shanthakumar on September 12 and the accused had thrown his body into Narasimhaiana Kere near Ramohalli twice before burying it near a quarry in Kurbarapalya at Ajjenahalli near Ramohalli after the body started floating in the lake.

According to a police source, all the five accused were in need of quick money to ‘clear off their debts and to settle down in lives’. The four shared their stories with Vishal who hatched a plan to kidnap his friend Sharath and get the huge ransom and distribute money among them.

“Vishal was aware of the financial status of Sharath’s family and shared the information with his other four associates and simultaneously hatched a plan to kidnap him. The accused thought Sharath’s father V. Niranjan Kumar would easily cough up the money without informing the police. But when Sharath’s father approached police to file a case, they felt their plan was going off the track. They then decided to kill Sharath, fearing he would reveal their names if he’s let off,” an official, who is taking part in the investigation, told Deccan Chronicle.

Meanwhile, the police on Monday will scrutinise the bank accounts of the accused to check on the amounts they had borrowed from the banks and the reason they got money for and where have they spent it.

“The accused were into deep financial crises despite having borrowed money banks as they say. Considering the backgrounds of the accused, they seem to have borrowed less money from banks and more from private financiers. We are checking with private lenders as well to learn why they borrowed money in lakhs and what they did with it,” the source said. “Once Shantha Kumar is arrested, we will get a clear picture,” he said.

With all the accused in this case being in their mid twenties, and considering the increasing rate of crimes such as murders and dacoities in which the accused are youth, renowned sociologist Dr. G K Karanth opines that “unregulated autonomy of youth” and their desire to adopt “so called upper class lifestyle” is driving youth to crime.