The Hindu : Murder solved with arrest of `victim'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 10, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Murder solved with arrest of `victim'

By Our Staff Correspondent

HASSAN AUG. 9. The Hassan District Crime Intelligence Bureau has solved a nine-year-old murder mystery with the arrest of Mohan Kumar (30), a resident of P&T Colony here, who everyone, including his father, Manje Gowda, thought was murdered. He was arrested at the Garden Bar and Restaurant on Sholapur Road in Bijapur District by a team of the bureau on Thursday.

Mohan Kumar allegedly murdered his friend, Anantramu, who was a student in NDRK College, in the latter's room. He then destroyed evidence by setting fire to the body and created circumstances which led everyone, including his parents and police, to believe that Anantramu had murdered him.

Disclosing the detection of the case at a press conference here on Friday, the Superintendent of Police, M.Nanjundaswami, said that the case would not have been detected but for the investigation carried out by the bureau Inspector, Umesh G.Shet, and his team under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police, B.S.Prakash. He announced a reward for Mr. Shet and this team.

Mohan Kumar, who was brought to the press conference, said that he was an autorickshaw driver and had befriended Anantramu. It was common for him to visit Anantramu at his room. Anantramu also used to borrow clothes and other accessories from him.

On June 9, 1993, Anantramu, who knew that Mohan Kumar had Rs.20,000 with him, invited him to his room. In the morning, the two had held negotiations for purchasing an autorickshaw with a person in the city. But they returned empty-handed as the seller asked them to come the next day.

Anantramu came over to Mohan Kumar's house at 8.45 p.m. that day and invited him to his room. The two drank liquor and ate dinner at a hotel near Slater's Memorial Hall before going to the room. They consumed some more drinks before calling it a day. At midnight, Anantramu allegedly tried to murder Mohan Kumar by strangling him, but was overpowered and strangled by Mohan Kumar instead.

The parents of Mohan Kumar identified the charred body as that of their son based on the clothes found on it and a silver ring. They cremated the remains at a crematorium near Bittagowdanahalli. Mohan Kumar, who fled the scene, then started to live incognito.

He said that he was in Bangalore for some days after the incident, and then went to Belgaum before settling down in Bijapur. He worked at the restaurant for nearly six years and married Malathi, sister of Prakash Poojary, his employer. Mohan Kumar used many aliases. It was "Prakash" at the time of his arrest.

Mr. Manje Gowda said that he had no reason to suspect that his son was alive and added that he had performed religious rites after his "death." He asserted that his son was not in touch with him these years and noted that he was startled when informed by Mr. Shet that his son was alive and that it was Anantramu who was murdered.

Mr. Prakash said that K.R.Puram (Extension) Police, which investigated the case, had filed a chargesheet in court stating that Anantramu was the accused. The court subsequently proclaimed Anantramu as an absconder.

Mr. Nanjundaswami said that relatives of Anantramu had been informed about the facts of the case.

Mohan Kumar has since been produced in court.

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