Pics: Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Sep 27: In the presence of the local assistant commissioner-com-divisional magistrate, Dr K Harish Kumar, the moral remains of Tingalady Umesh Rai were exhumed and inquest was conducted on Sunday September 26.

After the accused, Jayaraj Rai, Radhakrishna Naik and Ramakrishna Naik, identified the location where the body was buried by them, the remains were dug out in the presence of witnesses. The government doctor, mother and two wives of the deceased were present at the time. Pieces of bones recovered from the spot are being forwarded to forensic laboratory for conducting identification tests.

Puttur assistant superintendent of police, Amit Singh, and rural police circle inspector, B K Manjaiah, conducted the inquest. The relatives of Umesh Rai had been issued notices by the sub-divisional magistrate, seeking their presence during the procedure. The policemen also conducted investigation at the place where mobile phone and SIM owned by Umesh Rai were reportedly destroyed by his killers.

The policemen said Jayaraj Rai had informed them that the gold ornaments worn by Umesh Rai at the time of murder were sold by him in shops in Perla, Kasargod taluk. But, when the policemen went there along with Rai, they found his statement to be false and misleading.

As the police custody of the accused is set to end today, they will be produced in the court later in the day.

Umesh Rai was murdered and buried in a plantation owned by Jayaram Rai in Anile, Badagannur village near here, during the fag end of March this year. The sensational murder was uncovered by the policemen on September 23.