David D’Souza Murder Over UPCL Contract Money Dispute: SP Hariram Shankar
Udupi: Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar said a financial dispute between David D’Souza, a contractor for Adani UPCL, and an out-of-state contracting company was the reason behind his murder.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday evening, he said a North Indian company had undertaken contract work related to UPCL, while David had taken up the sub-contract and was executing the work. The company allegedly owed David Rs 80 lakh. As the company failed to pay the amount, David had retained machinery worth several crores of rupees belonging to the company. The investigation revealed that he was allegedly murdered after a contract killing was arranged over the dispute, the SP said.
In connection with the murder, Udupi police carried out a swift operation and arrested three alleged contract killers from North India. The arrested persons have been identified as Raju (42), a resident of Pilwa in Uttar Pradesh; Ajay Rastogi alias Anmol (23) from Uttarakhand; and Jiyahul Wajool Sheikh alias Deepak (38) from Bihar.
Raju is accused of shooting David D’Souza dead with a pistol. Police seized the pistol allegedly used in the crime, along with the motorcycle used by the accused, which they abandoned at Ermal near Padubidri, the SP said.
At around 3.45 p.m. on August 7, all three accused allegedly arrived at Mudrangadi to murder David D’Souza. Raju allegedly shot David in the head, after which two of the accused fled on a motorcycle while another escaped in a different vehicle. A case was subsequently registered at Shirva Police Station.
Special teams were formed to investigate the case. Police examined CCTV footage along the route taken by the accused while fleeing and continued their investigation. After committing the crime, the three accused were travelling by bus towards Bhatkal. Acting on specific information, a police team intercepted the bus at Ottinene near Byndoor.
When the police began checking the bus, the three accused got down and attempted to flee. The police chased them and succeeded in apprehending the prime accused, Raju.
The other accused, Ajay Rastogi, was taken into custody at Kumta with the assistance of Kumta police, while Jiyahul Wajool Sheikh was apprehended at Bhatkal with the assistance of Bhatkal police on Saturday morning. Further investigation is underway.
The police team carried out a swift operation and arrested all three accused within a few hours. The operation was conducted under the leadership of Udupi DySP Belliyappa, with the involvement of Kapu Circle Inspector Azmat Ali G., DSB PSI Harish, Byndoor Circle Inspector Shivakumar, Kundapura Circle Inspector Santosh Kaykini, Byndoor PSI Mahesh, Kapu PSI Tejaswi, Shirva PSI Manjunath Marabad, Kollur PSI Vinay, Karkala Rural PSI Prasanna M.S., Padubidri PSIs Shaktivelu and Anil, Shirva PSI Lohith Kumar, Probationary PSI Shifaz and other police personnel, along with Bhatkal and Kumta police, district crime investigation officials, fingerprint experts, the dog squad and the Udupi CDR cell.
The SP said police found that Rs 2 lakh had been deposited into the accused Raju’s account in connection with the murder. Those who assisted the accused locally, provided financial support, or offered them shelter will be identified and arrested soon. A police team has been sent to North India to trace the mastermind behind the murder, he said.
During the operation at Ottinene, the prime accused Raju, allegedly pushed Kaup Police Station PSI Tejaswi to the ground and fired a shot from the pistol he was carrying while attempting to escape.
In self-defence, the police fired at Raju’s leg, following which he fell to the ground. Police took him into custody along with the pistol in his possession. A separate case of attempted murder and obstructing a public servant in the discharge of duty has been registered against Raju at Byndoor Police Station.
Kapu Police Station PSI Tejaswi sustained injuries during the operation and is undergoing treatment at Udupi District Hospital. Raju, who was also injured in the firing, has been admitted to the same hospital for treatment. Udupi SP Hariram Shankar visited the hospital and enquired about their condition.
Around 17 cases, including murder, extortion, robbery, and assaults on women, have been registered against Raju in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi. Eight cases have been registered against Ajay alias Anmol Rastogi in Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, and other states, while around 12 cases have been registered against Jiyawullah alias Deepak in various states.
Police will visit the states where cases have been registered against the accused in the coming days to collect further information. All three are alleged to be professional criminals and were found carrying several SIM cards and mobile phones. They also possessed multiple identity cards, and therefore, their exact identities have not yet been fully established, SP Hariram Shankar said.
The conspiracy was allegedly planned, and preparations were made nearly two months before the murder. The accused had reportedly visited the area once earlier to conduct reconnaissance. They returned a week before the incident and stayed in Udupi, during which some local persons were found to have assisted them. Those locals are being questioned, the SP said.
The motorcycle used by the accused in the crime was locally registered, and steps have been taken to trace its owner. The number plate on the motorcycle was fake, and the registration number of a school bus had allegedly been used, he added.
