Udupi: Following the arrest of Praveen Arun Chougule, a 39-year-old Air India cabin crew member, for the brutal murder of a 21-year-old woman, Aynaz M, and three members of her family in Udupi district, police investigations have revealed the motive behind the crime was "jealousy and animosity," stemming from an alleged intimate relationship between the accused and his young colleague, an Indian Express report has stated.

The preliminary findings suggest that Chougule, a former Maharashtra policeman turned cabin crew member, had developed an over-possessive attitude towards the victim, leading to the tragic incident. The accused, a married man with two children, reportedly had an intimate relationship with Aynaz during work-related travel. The investigation points to jealousy and animosity as the driving factors behind the murders.

Chougule was arrested two days after the gruesome incident, where he allegedly stabbed Aynaz, her mother Haseena M (47), elder sister Afnan (23), and teenage brother Aseem inside their home. The accused, familiar with the family's residence, tracked down Aynaz and her sister during the Diwali break, leading to the horrific crime.

The Udupi police used technical data, including cell phone location and call records, to trace and arrest Chougule. The investigation revealed that his phone was suspiciously switched off during the time of the murders. Aynaz and her sister were killed upon their return to their Udupi home for the Diwali break.

Chougule, after committing the murders, travelled to Kudachi in Belagavi to spend Diwali with his uncle. The police investigation unfolded based on the complaint filed by a neighbour who discovered the crime. Aifa Ayub raised an alarm after hearing cries from the victims' house.

An auto-rickshaw driver played a crucial role in the investigation, revealing that he had transported the accused to the victims' house on the morning of the murders. The accused returned to the auto-rickshaw stand after approximately 15 minutes, leaving behind a gruesome crime scene.

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Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.

The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.

"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.

Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.

The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."

Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.

"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.

Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.

He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.

"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.