Udupi police looking out for person who called in name of underworld operative Hemanth Poojary

The Udupi police are on the lookout for the person who made internet calls, using the name of alleged underworld operative Hemanth Poojary, to former Mudarangadi Gram Panchayat president David D’souza and UPCL officials to give work contract to his brother Kishore Ram Poojary, said Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar on Monday.

D’souza was murdered in front of his office at Pilar in Udupi district on August 7. The police have arrested 10 persons, including three alleged assailants, and Kishore, so far.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Shankar said the caller identified himself as Hemant Poojary and asked UPCL officials and also D’souza to allot the work of laying pipeline for the UPCL desalination plant to Kishore. There was heated exchange between Kishore and D’Souza after the latter got the work contract. The police found that his led Kishore to give ‘supari’ of ₹10 lakh to the three assailants, who murdered D’souza.

“We are not sure whether the calls were made by Hemanth Poojary. In the last 10 years, there there has not been any extortion calls by Hemanth Poojary, who operates in Mumbai,” Mr. Shankar said.

The Udupi police found that the caller was in touch with Kishore, and the other nine accused arrested so far in the case. The caller appears to be the key conspirator in the case. The Mumbai police, which assisted the Udupi police in arrest of the Anuj Patil of Bihar, have been briefed.

Mr. Shankar commended the efforts of the Udupi district police team that has visited Uttarakhand, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, and Kerala, to collect information and arrest the accused.