Gadag murders: Accused paid 'supari' to kill brother, parents over property, says police
Gadag (PTI): Police here on Monday claimed to have cracked the murder of four persons with the arrest of a gang including the kingpin, who wanted his brother and parents dead over a suspected property dispute and hired the assailants for cash to eliminate them.
The arrested included members of the 'supari' (contract) gang that was hired by Vinayak Bakale, who paid Rs 65 lakh to kill his brother Kartik and parents-- Prakash Bakale and Sunanda Bakale.
Prakash and Sunanda are local BJP functionaries, with the latter being the vice-president of Gadag-Betageri City Municipal Council.
However, the plot went awry and Vinayak's parents survived. Karthik and the family’s close relatives were hacked to death in the early hours of April 19.
Karthik (27), Parashuram Hadimani (55), Lakshmi Hadimani (45) and Akanksha Hadimani (16) were found murdered at Dasara Oni in Gadag.
Police sources said Karthik's marriage had been fixed, which the Hadimanis had come to attend.
Since jewellery, valuables and cash were intact in the house, it was suspected that the motive was not robbery but something else, police sources said.
They said that a property dispute among the siblings was suspected to be the reason behind the murder as Prakash was to give all his wealth to Karthik, which irked Vinayak. Subsequently, he allegedly decided to wipe out his parents and brother.
On Monday, Inspector General of Police (North Zone) Vikash Kumar Vikash told reporters that they had arrested Vinayak Prakash Bakale (35), Fairoz Khazi (29), Jishan Khazi (24), all from Gadag; twin brothers Sahil Ashfaq Khazi (19), Sohail Ashfaq Khazi (19), Sultan Jilani Sheikh (23), Mahesh Jagannath Salunke (21) and Waheed Liyaqat Bepari (21), all from Miraj in Sangli district of Maharashtra.
Vinayak had given a Rs 65 lakh contract to Fairoz, who arranged vehicles and weapons and carried out surveillance, Kumar said.
The assailants broke into the house thinking only three people were present, the IGP said, adding that the targets were Vinayak’s parents and brother.
The agreement between Vinayak and the gang was that the proceeds of the loot after killing the trio would belong to the contract killers.
"Vinayak gave the contract to eliminate his parents and brother Karthik. Fairoz organised the entire gang. It was a short term plan. But as Prakash Bakale raised an alarm, the panicked assailants fled the spot. Otherwise he also was a target," Vikash said.
He said that four of the accused were caught in Miraj while others were nabbed in Gadag.
The police officer said Vinayak tried to escape when he was caught.
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Make polling hours 6am-7pm for May 7 LS polls, Karnataka BJP urges EC citing heatwave
Bengaluru, May 3: Citing the ongoing heatwave in the state, Karnataka BJP on Friday petitioned the Election Commission with a request to modify the polling hours to the 6am-7pm period in the 14 parliamentary constituencies in the state that goes to polls on May 7.
Polling is currently scheduled to be held in the second phase in the state in 14 segments in the northern districts between 7am to 6pm on May 7.
"It has become hard to come out and vote between hours 10.00 to 17.00 due to uncontrollable heat. The average heat in those parts (north Karnataka) covering 14 parliamentary constituencies are between 37 and 42 degree (Celsius). The mercury is rising at an alarming level and it would become hard for the electors to come out and vote," BJP's petition said.
The petition highlighted the alarming rise in temperatures, which are expected to go beyond 40 degree Celsius, and also stated that the number of voters over the age of 40 is high and that they are vulnerable to the heatwave.
"To keep up the good spirit of voting, necessary action should be taken," the BJP petition urged the Election Commission, saying, "In this background, it is requested to modify the time of voting in the 14 parliamentary constituencies from 06.00 to 19.00 hours on May 7".
Polling was held between 7 am and 6 pm during Karnataka's first phase of the Lok Sabha polls in 14 constituencies on April 26.
