CID begins Jain seer’s murder probe

Belagavi: A Crime Investigation Department (CID) team led by SP Venkatesh and DySP HD Kulkarni began the investigation of the brutal murder of Jain seer Kamakumar Maharaj by visiting Hirekodi in Chikodi. The CID officials arrived in Chikodi on Monday and visited Nandi Parvat Ashram in Hirekodi village of Chikkodi taluk in the evening. The team received information about the incident from local police officials. Belagavi SP Sanjeev Patil and Chikodi DySP Basavaraj Yaligar briefed the CID team about the investigation conducted so far. Sources said the CID team went to different places as part of the investigation on Tuesday. The accused Narayan Mali and Hasan Dalayat were arrested by police and interrogated for a week in connection with the murder case. They were then sent to judicial custody. More than 20 people who were connected with the seer were summoned by police and interrogated. Police had obtained the diary and other meterials used in the crime, sources said.