Deepak Rao murder case: Close to all, yet slain?

Mangaluru: Police officials are leaving no stone unturned while probing the Deepak Rao murder case in Surathkal and are trying to identify the brain behind the crime.

Though the four accused in the  murder case were arrested within hours of the murder on the same day, there are many questions which remain unanswered. While Basheer was murdered as a retaliation for the murder of Deepak, the reason for the murder of Deepak Rao and if there were  more people behind the crime is being investigated. Police are studying if Deepak was the real target or if the assailants wanted to kill someone from a particular community or particular group in the region.

Deepak Rao was not an active member of any Hindu outfit but was not isolated from them. According to sources he was identified with leaders of the saffron outfits of his area. This could be one of the reasons to make him a target. 

Officials are also probing if the assailants wanted to attack anybody from a group or community and inadvertently made Deepak the target. Targeting Deepak was easy as he would travel alone even in remote areas for his job.

Meanwhile, sources said  Deepak's close association with Muslim community members could have raised the hackles of the assailants who might have suspected that his close links could pose a danger as he was seen with both Hindu leaders and Muslims too.