Police arrest five, seize three pistols, 11 bullets, three vehicles to foil murder in Kalaburagi

Police Commissioner Sharanappa S.D. addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi on Monday even as the seized weapons are on display.
| Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

A murder plan in which the mastermind gave ₹20 lakh supari to four men to avenge his son’s murder has been foiled, according to the police.

Police Commissioner Sharanappa S.D., addressing presspersons here on Monday, said that Hanumantharaya Pagde wanted to take avenge his son Shivaputra Pagde’s murder by Sharanabasappa Kande three years ago and gave ₹20 lakh to contract killers Gaibusab, Yeshwanth Melkeri, Gautham Namnoor and Shivukumar Wagdargi in 2022.

However, to avoid arousing suspicion, Hanumantharaya was waiting for closure of his son’s murder case to execute his murder plan.

After waiting for two years, in the first week of September this year, the accused travelled to Madhya Pradesh and bought three country-made pistols and 11 live bullets for killing Sharnabasappa.

During interrogation, the accused confessed that he kept a watch on Sharnabasappa’s routine for the last one week to execute his murder plan.

However, based on a tip-off, the police spread a dragnet and arrested all five accused and confiscated three country-made pistols, 11 live bullets, two four-wheelers and one motorcycle from them.