The Udupi police on Wednesday, November 15, arrested Praveen Arun Chowgale, 40, a native of Kudachi in Belagavi district, in connection with the murder of 46-year-old Haseena and her three children near Malpe in Udupi on November 12.
Udupi Superintendent of Police K. Arun told reporters in Udupi on Wednesday that there are three motives for the murder. “We need to verify them with the family members of victims and come out with the real motive. It is all part of further investigation,” he said.
Mr. Arun said that Chowgale visited the house on November 12 to murder 21-year-old Aynaz. Chowgale and Aynaz worked as crew members of Air India Express at Mangaluru International Airport. “According to his confessional statement, Chowgale first attacked Aynaz. As other family members came in the way, he attacked them too.” To destroy evidence related to the attack, he murdered Haseena, Aynaz’s mother, and her other children Afnan, 23, and Asim, 12, and critically injured 70-year-old Hajira. Chowgale used a knife to murder all four persons and this weapon would be recovered, the Udupi Superintendent of Police said.
The police have gathered technical and other evidence to show that he murdered all the four persons. “Any other things related to the crime will be revealed during further investigation, which will be reflected in the chargesheet,” he said. Stating that Chowgale was “pre-determined and had preplanned the murder”, Mr. Arun added that the police would inquire all those who had helped Chowgale in the crime. The police have to verify whether Chowgale did the act under the influence of narcotic drugs. Police have to check his criminal history.
Chowgale, a native Sangli in Maharastra, worked in Mangaluru. He is married. The police have to verify his claims about having worked for a short period with the Maharashtra police before joining Air India Express.
A large number of police personnel were deployed at the Udupi Court Complex where murder accused Praveen Arun Chowgale was produced before a magistrate. on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Haseena’s husband, Mohammed Noor, and his other family members have cooperated with the police in the investigation. “Apart from their statements, family members have provided documents and also their mobile phones, which helped in the investigation of the case,” Mr. Arun said. Apart from Chowgale, eight teams of the Udupi police inquired about 20 suspects.
The Udupi police took help of Belagavi’s Kudachi police to secure Chowgale on Tuesday. Chowgale had reportedly switched off his mobile phone soon after the incident and turned it on only after reaching Kudachi. Chowgale was secured before his intended travel to Andhra Pradesh, police sources said.
Chowgale was produced before the local magistrate in Udupi, who remanded him in police custody for 14 days.
