Udupi, Dec 30: Senior journalist and critic of music and photography A Eswaraiah on Sunday passed away at his residence at Lakshmindra Nagar in the city. He was 78. He is survived by wife, son and two daughters.  

He had worked as editor of literary magazine ‘Tushara’ for more than two decades and he introduced hundreds of young and talented writers and litterateurs through his magazine. He has first introduced novels, short stories and poems of various writers through ‘Tushara’ and ‘Karvalo’ of Poornachandra Tejaswi was the best example.

Through his magazine, he has started a new column ‘photo article’ in order to give importance to best photos. This has encouraged writer Poornachandra Tejaswi in exposing the photography talent. He has special knowledge about photography and he was writing column about photography. But he was not happy about the excess usage of digital camera and mobile phone cameras as it has ‘killed’ creativity.

He was born to landlord and Patel of Ananthapura, Ananthapura Narayanaiah on August 12, 1940. After being graduated from MGM College of Udupi in English language, he entered journalism and worked till his retirement as the editor.

During his primary education, he had studied music and could able to play flute and other instruments. He was a multifaceted personality. Besides being a good journalist and giving priority to music, yakshagana and fine art forms, he was also a good photographer. Not only as a writer and short story writer, but Eswaraiah also talented in criticism. His column ‘Sarasa’, being written in ‘Tushara’ got much popularity and it came out in the form of book.

As a music lover, he established ‘Ragadhwani’ organization in Udupi and became the editor of a monthly magazine on music. He has got Karnataka State Media Academy award, State-level Sandesha award, Polya Yakshagana award, Vyasa Sahitya award, Moodabidri Nudisiri award and others. Sources said that his cremation would be held on Monday morning.

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Ranchi (PTI): A 25-year-old man, who works as a butcher, allegedly strangled to death his live-in partner and chopped her body into 40 to 50 pieces in a forested area in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Naresh Bhengra, was arrested.

The matter came to light after around a fortnight after the killing when a stray dog was found with human body parts near Jordag village in Jariagarh police station on November 24.

Bhengra was in a live-in relationship with the deceased, a 24-year-old woman also from Khunti district, in Tamil Nadu for the past couple of years. Sometime back, he returned to Jharkhand, got married to another woman without telling his partner anything and went back to the southern state without his wife to join her.

"The brutal incident occurred on November 8 when they reached Khunti as the accused who had married another woman did not wish to take her home. Instead, he took her to a forest near his house at Jordag village in Jariagarh police station and chopped the body into pieces. The man has been arrested," Khunti Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar told PTI.

Inspector Ashok Singh who investigated the case said the man worked in a butcher shop in Tamil Nadu and was expert in slicing chicken.

“He admitted chopping the body parts of the woman into 40 to 50 pieces before leaving those in the forest for wild animals to feast on. The police recovered several parts on November 24 after a dog in the area was seen with a hand," Singh told PTI.

Singh said that the woman, who was unaware of his marriage, pressured him to return to Khunti. After reaching Ranchi, they boarded a train on November 24 and headed to the man's village.

"Under a plan, the man took her to Khunti in an autorickshaw near his home and asked her to wait. He returned with sharp weapons and strangulated her with her dupatta after raping her. He then cut the body into 40 to 50 pieces and left for his home to live with his wife," Singh said.

The woman, however, had informed her mother that she had boarded a train and would be living with her partner, the police officer said.

Following the recovery of body parts, a bag was also found in the forest with the murdered woman's belongings including her Aadhaar card. The mother of the woman was called at the spot and she identified her daughter's belongings.

"The mother suspected the man behind the crime who after being nabbed by the police admitted to chopping the woman into pieces," the official added.

The incident has sent shockwaves among people in the region, with the Shraddha Walker murder case of 2022 still fresh in their memory.

Walker was killed by her live-in partner who chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in the jungle in South Delhi’s Mehrauli.