Man Murdered by Friends in Udupi Over Viral Audio Clip; Three Arrested
Udupi: A 40-year-old man was brutally murdered in his Udupi home on August 12th, allegedly by three friends incensed over a viral audio clip he is accused of disseminating. The victim, identified as Vinay Devadiga, a resident of Subramanya Nagar, Puttur village, Udupi taluk, was reportedly attacked with a machete and knife in his bedroom.
Vinay Devadiga
The three accused – Ajith, 28, and Akshendra, 34, both residents of Gandhinagar, Kokkarnje, Brahmavar, and Pradeep Acharya, a resident of Benegal, Kokkarnje – have surrendered to the Udupi Town Police and are currently in custody, facing interrogation.
Accused Ajith, Akshendra, and Pradeep
Preliminary reports indicate that the incident occurred around 11:30 PM. Vinay Devadiga, who worked as a painter, had returned to his residence at approximately 6:00 PM after concluding personal errands in Udupi. Later that evening, the three accused allegedly gained entry into his house, conducting a thorough search for the victim.
Awakened by the intrusion, Vinay Devadiga encountered the accused in his bedroom. An attempt was made to seize his mobile phone. According to police reports, Ajith restrained Vinay to prevent his escape, while Akshendra and Pradeep allegedly assaulted him with a machete and knife, inflicting fatal blows to his head. The assailants then fled the scene on a scooter.
The alleged motive behind the murder stems from Vinay Devadiga’s purported sharing of an audio clip that subsequently went viral. The clip reportedly contained verbal abuse directed at the accused, Akshendra, by an individual identified as Jeevan. This act of sharing is believed to have triggered the violent response from the accused.
The Udupi Town Police Station has registered a case and has commenced a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murder. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge as the police continue their inquiry.