Udupi: The Udupi District Superintendent of Police, Dr. K. Arun, announced that Praveen Arun Chowgale (39), the prime suspect arrested in connection with the brutal massacre of a mother and her children in Nejar, has confessed to the murders. The arrest took place at the Kudachi police station in Rayabhaga taluk of Belgaum district on Tuesday
In a press conference held at the Udupi SP office, Dr. K. Arun revealed that the confession was obtained through a combination of technical and other evidence, confirming the suspect's involvement in the heinous crime. However, the weapon used in the murders is yet to be recovered.
The accused, Praveen Gaganasakhi, formerly employed as a cabin crew member with Mangalore Air India, allegedly committed the murders out of animosity towards Aynaz, one of the victims. He reportedly attacked and fatally stabbed not only Ainaz but also her mother and two children who intervened in an attempt to stop him.
During the interrogation, the suspect provided three motives for the murders, pending verification. Dr. K. Arun mentioned that Praveen Gaganasakhi, a married individual originally from Sangli, Maharashtra, had been residing in Mangalore for several years.
Further investigations will be carried out to ascertain the accuracy of the stated motives and to locate the weapon used in the gruesome crime.
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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.