MYSURU: With the Mysuru police establishing that the hit-and-run death of retired Intelligence Bureau officer R N Kulkarni was in fact a planned murder, the investigation has now turned to the role of the victim’s neighbour in the case. The police have also taken three people into custody for interrogation.
The police had initially registered a hit-and-run case, but confirmed it to be a planned murder as CCTV footage showed an unidentified car swerving and knocking down the victim who was on an evening walk in the University of Mysore campus.
While the police launched a search for the car, the complaint given by Kulkarni’s son-in-law Sanjaya pointed the needle of suspicion to the neighbour Madappa. A source from the probe team confirmed that the special team constituted to investigate the murder has shifted its focus to the involvement of Madappa.
“We found that the vehicle number, which Kulkarni had given when he suspected a possible attack on him in the past, belongs to Madappa. The team is looking into other aspects as well along with details of the driver and if any ‘supari’ was given to kill him,” said a probe team member.
Sanjaya, in his complaint, claimed that his father-in-law had a clash with his neighbour over the latter not maintaining minimum setback area while constructing a two-storied building. Kulkarni had given a complaint to MCC regarding the building bylaw violation by the neighbour and also approached the court with a miscellaneous appeal.
The Mysuru City Corporation had decided to demolish Madappa’s 2-storied under-construction building for allegedly violating the laws. Kulkarni was involved in a legal battle against Madappa over the violations.