Bengaluru: The CID sleuths probing the sensational murder of billionaire businessman from Udupi, Bhaskar Shetty, have found that priest and astrologer Niranjan Bhat, an accused in the case, had planned to shoot Mr Shetty dead with a pistol. He had approached a friend in Mumbai to get him a pistol and the friend, bugged by his persistence demands, had switched off his mobile phone.
CID sources said that a week before the businessman was murdered at Indrali in Udupi on July 28, Bhat had contacted his childhood friend, Satish, who works in a restaurant in Mumbai. During the course of investigation, the officials found that Bhat had contacted Satish several times just a few days before and after the murder. As part of the probe, Satish was picked up and he reportedly revealed how desperate Bhat was to get a pistol.
“Initially, the accused had planned to shoot Mr Shetty dead. As he did not have any such contacts locally, Bhat approached Satish, thinking that pistols were easily available in Mumbai. He had contacted Satish over the phone a week before the murder and without giving the reason had asked for the pistol. Bhat told Satish that he would pay him how ever much money he wanted. But Satish clearly told Bhat that it was not easy to get a pistol. After Satish turned down his request, Bhat again asked him to buy chloroform and come to Udupi immediately,” an official said.
“When Satish went to a pharmaceutical shop to buy chloroform, the staff asked him to give his name, mobile number and the reason for the purchasing the drug. Satish developed cold feet, dropped the plan and returned. Bhat kept calling him desperately, seeking help. Unable to bear him anymore, Satish switched off his mobile phone for four days,” the official said.
As there was no help from Satish, Bhat decided to beat Mr Shetty to death and executed his plan. Even after the murder, he reportedly contacted Satish, asking him to arrange for some supari killers. “Bhat’s plan was to arrange for supari killers, make them admit to the murder and surrender before the police. He told Satish that he would look after of their expenses and also ensure that they would be released on bail. Again, Satish refused to help,” the official said.
The CID officials are confident that Satish’s statement will be strong evidence against the accused. “There was no strong material evidence against the accused so far. We have got it now with Satish’s statement. We also have the recordings of the phone calls between Bhat and Satish. We have already recorded Satish’s statement before the magistrate.”
Mr Shetty went missing from his house on July 28. His mother Gulabi Shetty lodged a missing complaint at the Manipal police station the next day. Investigations revealed that Mr Shetty was allegedly murdered by his wife Rajeshwari, 46, son Navneet, 24, and Niranjan Bhat, 25. After arresting the three, the police also arrested two others, Srinivas Bhar and Raghavendra, on charges of destroying the evidence. The accused had bludgeoned Mr Shetty to death with iron rods. They allegedly burnt his body in a ‘yagna kunda’ at Nandalike village and immersed the ashes in a rivulet at Palli village.
