Bengaluru: Man confesses to murder, tries to bribe victim's son

BENGALURU: A 58-year-old man allegedly murdered his friend over a petty issue and dumped the body in Arkavathy canal. He hushed up the matter for one and a half years. The incident came to light when he confessed to the victim's son recently and offered money to not file a police case.
Mallesh, a resident of Chikkamudavadi village in Kanakapura taluk, kicked Rudregowda from Kotekoppa village to death in November 2020, police said.
Cops had found a man's highly decomposed body near Arkavathy canal on December 1, 2020. They registered a case of unnatural death but were unable to identify him. They buried the body after taking photos. The case was unsolved till Mallesh confessed to the crime to Rudregowda's son Prathap on June 11.
Rudregowda had the habit of walking out of his house over minor disputes and staying away for a couple of months. The family did not bother when he disappeared in December 2020. But as Rudregowda failed to come back, Prathap, who knew that his father was working with Mallesh, enquired with the latter. Mallesh told Prathap his father might have gone to some other place. Prathap filed a missing-person complaint with Kodihalli police on January 27, 2022.
Police learnt about the decomposed body and collected the photos. They summoned Prathap, who identified the body as his father's. Police subjected him to a DNA test and he gave his blood sample in a court on May 9, 2022. "We are awaiting a DNA-profiling report," said a probe officer.
Prathap, who was on his way to Male Mahadeshwara Hills with his friend on June 11, met Mallesh in Malavalli. Mallesh wanted to reveal a secret about his father. He told him that he had kicked Rudregowda's private parts over a petty issue in Chikkamudavadi village. When he died, the body was thrown into the canal. The body was found in a decomposed state near Kanakapura, 8km from Chikkamudavadi, on December 1, 2020.
"Mallesh asked me to not to say anything about the murder and avoid filing a police complaint. He offered me some money if I agreed to stay silent," Prathap told police.
Kanakapura Rural police registered a case of murder against Mallesh on June 13 and arrested him. He is in judicial custody now.