M'lore: Umesh Rai Murder – Four Including APMC Former Prez Arrested

Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Sep 24: Dakshina Kannada superintendent of police (SP), Dr A Subrhamanyeshwar Rao, informed at a press conference held here relating the murder of a rowdy-sheeter on Friday September 24, that the policemen have arrested four persons including Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee, Puttur former president, D Ammanna Rai, his brother-in-law, Jayaram Shetty from Badagannur village, Ramachandra Naik and Ramakrishna Naik, both from Badagannur village, in connection with the murder of Tingalady Umesh Rai (36). The theory of the policemen is that Rai was killed because of the breach of trust he is supposed to have committed.

Umesh Rai’s wife, Soumya Rai, living in Padil Vijayanagar Lay Out in Puttur, had filed a complaint about her husband’s disappearance, with Puttur rural police station on March 31 this year. In the complaint, she said her husband had left home at 5 pm on March 26 in a Maruti Alto unregistered car owned by his friend, for visiting another friend, Jayaraj Shetty. She also claimed that on the next day, her husband had called her, to inform that he was staying in Jayaraj’s house. “On 30th, Jayaraj called me to claim that Umesh had been taken away by the Belgaum police in relation to a case and that he would be back in two weeks,” she said in the complaint, seeking police assistance in finding out her husband. A missing case was accordingly, registered.

The Maruti Alto car used by Umesh Rai was found abandoned near Kasargod railway station on April 9 this year, but no clues about Rai could be collected. There were widespread rumours that Umesh Rai had fled to Kerala and got himself converted into Islam. His brother, who was questioned by the police, could not be of any help. His wife, who followed up the missing case of her husband, could not gather any material information about her husband’s whereabouts.

The policemen knew that Umesh Rai dealt with property disputes, mediated between warring parties and got engaged in several brawls. After observing that Jayaraj Shetty stayed away from his home since about 45 days after Umesh disappeared, the policemen grew suspicious that Jayaraj had played a role in Umesh Rai’s disappearance. They intensified investigation based on these facts. After coming to know that Jayaraj was to visit his home on September 23 this year, the policemen laid in wait and took him into custody. The policemen said that the arrested accused confessed during their questioning to have plotted to kill Umesh Rai.  The policemen were told by him that he and Ammanna suspected that Umesh Rai used to pass secret information about Muttappa Rai to groups opposed to him. They are relatives and Muttappa Rai, and had grown angry with Umesh on this count. The SP said that the policemen are taking steps to recover Rai’s mortal remains based on information provided by the arrested men, that the body of the murdered man was buried near the farm house.

The name of Jayaraj Shetty, a close associate of Umesh Rai, also appears in the rowdy sheet opened in Puttur rural police station.

A team of policemen led by Puttur rural circle inspector of police, B K Manjaiah and S Anand, sub-inspector of police, participated in the investigation, the SP informed.