5 arrested for bizman Keshav Shetty's murder

MANGALURU: Mangaluru City police discounting the drug angle behind the January 6 murder of businessman Keshava Shetty at Soorinje Kote have announced the arrest of five persons in this connection from Horanadu in Chikkamagaluru district on Saturday. Police top brass maintained that the incident instead was the result of growing personal rivalry between Keshava Shetty and Lithesh over trying to exert their influence in a political party in Surathkal area.
Santosh Babu K, deputy commissioner of police (law and order), giving details of the arrest named the accused as Lithesh, 25, resident of Soorinje Kote, Shobi alias Shobharaj, 23 of Madhya, Yuvaraj alias Appu, 23 of Delanthabettu, Krishna, 19 of Kinnigoli, Mennabettu. While this quartet was directly involved in the murderous attack on Keshava Shetty, Bharat, 25 of Soorinje has been booked for being an accessory to murder and trying to destroy crime related evidence.
Stating that police are on the lookout for Satish alias Sachchu, the main accused, Santosh said both Satish and Lithesh harboured a grudge against Keshava Shetty for declining their requests for financial help in separate instances. Police had also arrested Satish for threatening Keshava Shetty in this regard as well in a case that was registered in Surathkal police station, Santosh said, adding Keshava Shetty also allegedly tried to browbeat Lithesh on several occasions.
Santosh said Keshava Shetty and his friends had gone to Lithesh's house sometime around New Year and threatened his family of dire consequences if the latter continued to come his way. Stating that Lithesh had escaped from the back door of his house seeing Keshava Shetty come there and fearing that he might eliminate him, Santosh said Lithesh along with his friends conspired to eliminate him. The fact they knew his daily routine too helped them, DCP said.
The four accused armed with sharp-edged weapons had taken up vantage position near a bush adjacent to a ground where Keshava Shetty came every morning to play badminton and hacked him to death when he came there on January 6. The four asked Bharath to ascertain if Keshava Shetty had died and also requested him to bring a motorcycle in which they had come to a particular place, he said, adding he has been booked for being an accessory to the murder.