UDUPI: A licensed land surveyor has been arrested by the Udupi police on charges of murder.
The 54-year-old surveyor Sadananda Sherigar (54) and his associate Shilpa (40) committed murder to fake the former's death to evade arrest by the police in a cheating case.
Police recovered a burnt car with a charred body near Henuberu, Byndoor on July 13. Police found the body in the rear seat of the car charred beyond recognition.
Police sources said that Sadananda has been working as a licensed surveyor. He forged land documents and prepared a sketch of a property showing a non-existent road adjoining it. Following this, a case was registered against Sadanand by Karkala police. As charge sheet was filed before the court, Sadananda also got a summons from the court to appear before it. Recently, the court sent a warrant to him, Sadanand feared that he would be arrested.
In a bid to save himself, Sadananda planned to stage his own murder in a car. For this Sadananda took the help of his associate- Shilpa who earlier worked in a government office on a contractual basis. The duo picked a man of his age group and took him in his car to Byndoor with the help of two others. The victim was forced to drink alcohol with sleeping tablets. After this, he was immolated with the car to depict this as a case of murder of Sadanand himself. As Sadananda was elusive, police investigated this gruesome murder and cracked the case by finding the real motive. Police are trying to identify the person who was burnt to death by Sadananda. It is said he is a man from Karkala.