Club owner murder at Manipal: Three held
Udupi, July 29: Miscreants stabbed the owner of Seventh RC club at Zepta Lang building on Manipal-Perampalli road to death at Manipal on Sunday at 1pm.
The victim was identified as Guruprasad Bhat (44), son of late Sridhar Bhat of Subramanya Nagar in Puttur. In a lightning operation, the police arrested three accused at Kandlur check-post in related to the incident.
Arrested were identified as Pradeep Poojary (36) of Kodannur New Colony, Sujith Pinto (35) of Kalyanapura and Rajesh Poojary (30) of Kunjibettu Kakkunje. Another accused was absconding, according to police.
The accused who came in a white colour car entered into the club and attacked Guruprasad Bhat and stabbed him behind his neck and fled the scene in the same car. Severely injured Guruprasad Bhat was taken to Manipal hospital by the staff of a hotel housed in the same building. Because of heavy bleeding, he died on the way to hospital, it is said.
Murder due to financial dispute
It is said that Guruprasad had financial transaction with many people and the accused might have killed him because of the dispute in financial transactions. He had borrowed money from many people and did not return it. Around 15 years ago, he was identified with Hitendra Prasad of Hai Maruta paper. They were running ‘Satya News’ and ‘Namma Udupi’ weekly magazine. Later, they had also started car gas, Inviter, Cyber, land business, wood carving factory and other businesses. Recently, Guruprasad Bhat had sold wood carving factory and got a club on March 12, 2018 on rent.
Till Saturday late night, he played cards in the club. During that time, he has received many threat calls to his mobile phone. On the wee hours, his friends have left for home and Guruprasad slept at the club. On Sunday at 9 am, he engaged himself in playing cards. After, everyone left the club at 12 noon, he stayed in the club with his workers Shankar and Jaya. The accused have used this time to kill him. When Guruprasad was attacked, the two workers fled the hotel due to fear, it is said.
CCTV footage helps police
The building housed Seven Heaven Bar, Hotel, Pub, Lodging and club and the entire building is under CCTV camera surveillance. The club where Guruprasad was murdered has five CCTV cameras. The white colour car and its number were recorded in the camera installed in the front of the lodge. Inside the club, the cameras have the footage of the accused attacking Guruprasad, and three of them making him to sit in his knees and another stabbed him on his neck.
The police who recovered the footage of the cameras installed in the building and the club managed to identify the accused. The police also recovered the mobile phone of Guruprasad Bhat and listened to the call records and arrested the accused.
SP Lakshman Nimbargi, ASP Kumarachandra, Manipal inspector Sudarshan, Udupi circle inspector Naveenchandra Jogi and others visited the place. Manipal police registered a case.
Relative of MLA Raghupathi Bhat
Guruprasad Bhat is the son of the maternal uncle of Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat. The MLA who visited the mortuary at Manipal Hospital said that though Guruprasad Bhat was his relative, he was not speaking about his business with his family. Everything should come out from the police investigation, he said.
“Miscreants have killed Guruprasad Bhat who has been running a club at Seventh Heaven Hotel. Police teams have arrested three accused at Kandlur check-post and one accused was absconding. Investigation is on”.
-Lakshman Nimbargi, SP Udupi
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Compromised PM didn't sign trade deal with US, but a bargain for Adani's release: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of signing a trade deal with the US only to secure the "release" of billionaire businessman Gautam Adani.
"Compromised PM did not strike a trade deal, but a bargain for Adani's release," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X, after reports that the US has agreed to settle the lawsuit that accused Adani of hiding alleged bribery.
The US government has agreed to settle the lawsuit filed against Adani, who is accused of duping investors by concealing that his company's huge solar energy project in India was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme, according to court filings published Thursday.
Reacting to the reports, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said it was now clear why the PM agreed to the "hopelessly one-sided Indo-US trade deal that was really a steal by the US".
"And it is also clear why he abruptly halted Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025, acting on President Trump's threats rather than on our national interest. Reportedly, the Trump Administration is about to drop all charges of corruption against Modani," he said on X.
"How much more compromised can the PM get?" Ramesh asked.
In the lawsuit filed in late 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani, who is a director at the group's renewable energy unit Adani Green Energy Ltd, of agreeing to pay about USD 265 million in bribes to Indian government officials between approximately 2020 and 2024 to obtain lucrative solar energy supply contracts on terms that expected to yield USD 2 billion of profit over 20 years.
It was alleged in the lawsuit that Adani Group raised USD 2 billion in loans and bonds, including from US firms, on the backs of false and misleading statements related to the firm's anti-bribery practices and policies.
The ports-to-energy conglomerate had denied the allegations.
