Nejaru Murder case: Police rule out burglary angle, promise swift investigation
“Accused arrived in auto-rickshaw, spoke in Kannada, before housebreaking”: Rickshaw driver
Udupi: The Udupi police have ruled out a burglary angle in the chilling Nejaru murder case, emphasizing that gold jewelry in the house remained untouched.
Superintendent of Police Dr. Arun K while addressing the media on Sunday stated, "The murders appear to be linked to personal issues; no stolen items have been identified.”
On Sunday morning, the victims, Hasina (42) and her children Afnan (22), Aynaz (20), and Asim (12), were brutally stabbed to death, and Hasina's mother-in-law was also attacked but survived after she locked herself in the toilet.
“The victims were stabbed to death using a sharp weapon. Hasina's mother-in-law was also stabbed by the assailant and was later admitted to the hospital,” he informed, expressing that the investigation of the matter had been expedited.
Responding to a reporter's query, the SP further clarified that, “No items were stolen from the house, it does not appear that the act was committed with the intention of theft. We suspect that the murders took place pertaining to personal issues, as of now we cannot ascertain the exact motive behind the murder.”
In the meantime, a rickshaw driver identified as Shyam speaking to the media revealed that the accused arrived at Hasina residence on his auto rickshaw from Santhekatte. Recalling the incident, Shyam stated, “Today between 8:30 am and 9 am, a person who came on a two-wheeler boarded my rickshaw on Queen's Road. He instructed me to take him to Tripthi Layout in Nejaru. Accordingly, I left him near the gate of the house where the murder took place in Tripthi Layout.”
"After I left the house where the murder took place, within 15 minutes, he (assailant) came back to Santhekatte auto park and boarded another rickshaw that was ahead in the queue. I spotted him and asked him that if he had intended to come so soon, I would have waited there. However, he said its okay. He also instructed the rickshaw driver he boarded in Santhekatte to drive faster,"Shyam recalled.
Shyam described the assailant as aged around 45 years old, speaking in Kannada, wearing a mask, bald-headed, with only his eyes visible and a white complexion.
The chilling incident unfolded at 8:30 am when the assailant broke into Hasina's home, stabbing her and her daughters. Hasina's younger son, Aseem (12), who heard the commotion while cycling outside, was also stabbed to death. Hasina’s Mother-in-law, Hajira, narrowly escaped by locking herself in the toilet.
Hajira, despite police instructions, remained in the locked toilet out of fear. Upon forced entry by the police, they discovered her injured but alive.
Reportedly, Hasina's husband was working abroad. Preliminary information indicates two children were home, while another son worked in Mangaluru.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
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.
