Kodagu: Five arrested for murder of coffee estate owner
Madikeri: Kodagu police have arrested five men in connection with the murder of coffee estate owner Pradeep Koili, whose body was found at his residence in Kongana village on April 23. Among those arrested is NS Anil, a short film director and actor, who has been identified as the main accused in the case.
Pradeep Koili, a native of Kannur in Kerala, was living alone at his plantation located under the B Shettigeri Gram Panchayat limits. He was found dead at his home last week, allegedly strangled using a nylon rope. The murder, which shocked the local community, triggered an intensive investigation led by a 12-member police team.
Addressing reporters on Saturday, Kodagu Superintendent of Police Ramarajan said that the five arrested individuals have been remanded to judicial custody. The accused have been identified as NS Anil (25) from Mugutageri village, Harish TS (29) from Nalluru village in Ponnampet taluk, Deepak (21) from Abburukatte village, Stefen D'Souza (26) from Nerugalale village, and Karthik HM (27) from Hithalamakki village in Somwarpet taluk.
According to police, Anil, the primary suspect, had been under pressure after a marriage proposal fell through. During the marriage discussions, the prospective bride’s family is said to have expressed reservations about Anil due to his lack of employment and assets. Police believe this setback may have motivated him to plot the murder, allegedly in a bid to acquire wealth quickly.
SP Ramarajan also revealed that Anil had a history of fraud. He had previously duped several residents in Bengaluru, Hassan, and Ponnampet by falsely claiming he could help locate hidden treasure on their properties. Similar fraudulent attempts were also reported in areas like Thithimathi, Konanakatte, and nearby villages.
In the present case, Anil had reportedly approached Pradeep Koili pretending to represent foreign buyers interested in purchasing the estate. He is said to have paid the victim Rs 1 lakh as advance to gain his trust.
CCTV footage from the area showed that the accused had attempted to cover up the crime by burying Koili’s body and trying to destroy surveillance cameras. During the investigation, police recovered Rs 13 lakh allegedly stolen from Koili’s house. They also seized two motorcycles, three mobile phones, and documents related to the estate property.
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Five teachers suspended for facilitating mass copying during Class 12 exam in Beed
Beed (PTI): Five teachers, who were caught allegedly facilitating large-scale copying during an HSC (Class 12) examination paper at a centre in Maharashtra's Beed district, have been suspended, an official said on Tuesday.
The police had registered a first information report (FIR) against 17 teachers after a drone camera exposed large-scale copying on February 10, the first day of the Class 12 exams conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, at Centre 224 in Chousala.
Drone-mounted surveillance cameras deployed by the authorities captured supervisors in 16 examination halls, not only failing to prevent copying but also allegedly helping students cheat openly.
The official said five teachers from Bhalchandra Vidyalaya in Limbaganesh have been suspended in connection with the malpractice, and 12 from three other schools and junior colleges are under investigation and may face suspension as the probe widens.
After learning about the February 10 incident, Beed Collector Vivek Johnson ordered strict action against those responsible for the lapse.
Accordingly, an FIR was registered against 17 teachers, including the chief conductor of the exam centre, at Neknoor police station and charges under the Maharashtra Universities, Boards and Other Specified Examinations (Prevention of Malpractices) Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were invoked.
The Education Department subsequently directed the concerned institutions to suspend the implicated staff.
