Bengaluru: 4 held for murder of contractor over affair with cousin

BENGALURU: Police on Tuesday arrested four men two days after the abduction and murder of a 27-year-old civil contractor over his relationship with a distant cousin, the daughter of one of the suspects, in Magadi taluk, around 55km from Bengaluru.
Police said Ravi M, a resident of Managallu village, near Magadi, was in love with the daughter of Nagesh, 40, of Bychapura village. Nagesh, vehemently opposed to the relationship, recently asked another relative, Lokesh GK, 29, of Hosapete village, to warn Ravi and put an end to the affair.
Lokesh and his associates learnt that Ravi, who took up civil projects at gram and taluk panchayat levels, was in Magadi on personal work on Sunday evening, an investigating officer said. The gang attacked Ravi near the Magadi sub-registrar’s office around 8pm, assaulting him with hockey sticks in full public view.
“The assailants then abducted Ravi and took him near Anegulla on Gudemaranahalli Road, north of Magadi,” the officer said. “They slit his throat, dumped the body in a drain and fled the scene.”
Elder brother filed plaint
Learning about the assault and abduction, Ravi’s elder brother, Swami M, rushed to the Magadi police station around 7am on Monday and lodged a complaint of kidnapping. Police received information by noon about an unidentified body near Anegulla. Family members identified the victim as Ravi.
Police registered a case of murder and formed multiple teams to apprehend the culprits. They arrested Nagesh, Lokesh and his associates Ravi and Uday Kumar.
Three others still on the run
“Three others are still at large,” the officer said. “We are searching for them.”
“My brother and Nagesh’s daughter were in love. But Nagesh was opposed to the relationship and tried to separate them,” Swami told TOI. “The matter could have been resolved if we sat down together and had a discussion. But they killed my brother instead.”