Kishore Ram Poojary, one of the accused arrested by the Udupi police in connection with the murder of ex-panchayat president David D’Souza in Mudarangadi in Udupi district on August 7.
Sadananda Devadiga, one of the accused arrested by the Udupi police in connection with the murder of ex-panchayat president David D’Souza in Mudarangadi in Udupi on August 7.
The Udupi police have arrested two more persons, including one who is suspected of having given the ‘supari’, in connection with the murder of the former president of the Mudarangadi Gram Panchayat, David D’Souza.
With this, the police have so far arrested a total of seven persons in connection with the case.
The police gave the names of the arrested persons as Sadananda Devadiga, 41, of Bada Yermal village, Kaup taluk, Udupi district, and Kishore Ram Poojary, 47, of Bada Uchhila village, Kaup taluk. The police seized two mobile phones, a motorcycle, and some cash from Devadiga, while three mobile phones and a car were seized from Kishore.
Investigation revealed that D’Souza had bagged the contract for laying a pipeline and building a road in the area near Kishore’s house, which Kishore was also eyeing. A year ago, there was a heated exchange between the deceased D’Souza and Kishore over the contract and the former had humiliated the latter. The police said Kishore used a close confidante to get in touch with the three alleged assailants, based in Mumbai, and paid the ‘supari’ for the murder of D’Souza.
An assailant attacked D’Souza when he was about to board his jeep parked in front of his office, ‘Prince Enterprises’, near St. Francis Xavier Church, in Pilar, on August 7. CCTV images showed the assailant hitting D’Souza and firing at him, even as the former fell to the ground. The assailant was also seen threatening onlookers with the firearm and fleeing from the spot on his accomplice’s motorcycle.
The police then traced the assailant, Raju, who is accused of shooting down D’Souza. When he was being escorted for questioning, Raju pushed a police sub-inspector and shot at the official while trying to escape. The sub-inspector shot Raju in the leg and secured him. They were both admitted to hospital. Raju would be taken into police custody after he is discharged, the police said.
With the help of the Uttara Kannada police, the Udupi police arrested the two other assailants, Anmol Rastogi and Ziaul Vazul Sheikh alias Deepak, in connection with the case.
The police also arrested Chirag Poojary, 26, and Mohammed Irshad, 43, both from Tenka village, Kaup taluk, for allegedly transferring money from Kishore to the three assailants before and after the murder.
The police are looking into whether Kishore is involved in similar crimes in coastal Karnataka and other regions of the State. The Udupi police have not found anything against D’Souza’s rival firm based in Punjab, which was initially suspected of involvement in the murder.
Published – August 16, 2026 08:08 pm IST
