Karnataka: CID takes over monk murder case probe
On July 8, police found the chopped body parts of the Jain monk who allegedly went missing two days ago from his ashram in Hirekodi village of the district. Two people, including prime accused Narayan Mali, were arrested on the same day and confessed to the crime
The investigation into the murder of Jain monk Kaamakumar of Nandi Aashram in Hirekodi of Karnataka’s Belagavi district has been handed to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Chikkodi deputy superintendent of police (DySP) Basavaraj Yaligar said on Monday.
On July 8, police found the chopped body parts of the Jain monk who allegedly went missing two days ago from his ashram in Hirekodi village of the district. Two people, including prime accused Narayan Mali, were arrested on the same day and confessed to the crime.
Yaligar, who was leading the investigations into the case so far, said the case was transferred to the CID, and will now be led by SP Venkatesh and Dy SP HD Kulkarni.
Yaligar said they provided the CID with all the investigative reports, material evidence, recorded videotapes of the accused, and statements from numerous witnesses.
“The CID expressed satisfaction with the quality of their work after verifying their investigation report,” he said.
The Dy SP said the police, after arresting the accused, conducted a day-night inquiry of the accused in their 24-day custody.
“We haven’t left a single material evidence to prove the charges against the accused,” the police officer added.
The state government’s decision to hand over the case to the CID came after the squad led by Yaligar thoroughly investigated the case within the prescribed time and remanded the accused to judicial custody.
An advocate privy to the developments, known for handling criminal cases in Belagavi and the high court, pointed out that the CID could not take the accused into their custody as the 14-day police custody period had already expired.
Instead, the CID could enhance their investigation with more witnesses and material evidence, which they could present during court hearings. “They can add more witnesses, material evidence, etc., to their investigation and cannot take the accused into their custody for interrogation,” he said.
The accused, Mali, a resident of Khatakabhavi in neighbouring Raibag taluk, was closely associated with the monk and supplied sand to the residential school built by the monk in the ashram campus.
Unbeknownst to the monk, Mali was also involved in illegal sand mining from the nearby Krishna River. To finance his sand mining business, Mali took loans from the monk, including a substantial sum used to purchase an earthmoving machine, said Yaligar
Upon further investigation, the police discovered the existence of a diary maintained by the monk, which detailed the financial transactions of various loans, including the one given to Mali.
The monk used to pressure his debtors to repay loans promptly, which led to Mali’s alleged mental torture and his sinister plan to eliminate the monk, said Yaligar.
He conspired with a close friend, Hassansab Dalayat, and together, on July 6, they lured the monk out of the Aashram and murdered him in Khadakbhavi village. The body was dismembered, wrapped, and disposed of in an unused borewell.
After the monk was reported missing, the police rounded up Mali and Dalayat, who confessed to the crime. They initially misled the police about the location of the body and the existence of the monk’s diary but later provided accurate information.
The accused, particularly Mali, expressed remorse for their actions, and additional security measures were put in place to ensure their safety during custody, police said.
The investigating team completed their assignment and produced the accused in court, where they were remanded to judicial custody until July 22. Concurrently, the state government entrusted the CID with further investigation of the case.
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