Beltangady: A police team led by Bantwal ASP Rahul Kumar, specially constituted by district SP Dr Sharanappa S D, has succeeded in arresting the prime accused in the murder of a senior couple in Kakkinje in the taluk earlier this week.
He has been identified as Ravi aka Raju Katunnavar (26), hailing from Gadag from northern Karnataka, who was engaged in the construction work of a dam near Kakkinje. The arrest was made on the basis of fingerprints and CCTV footage.
Varghese and Eliyamma couple were found murdered on Monday morning. Raju, during interrogation, is said to have confessed to the crime. He had a criminal past and having moved around the place, he had come to know that the couple lived alone all by themselves.
On the night of the crime, he reportedly came to the Varghese residence and told the couple that he had lost the way and sought directions. Acting confused, he requested Varghese to come to the road and explain the route properly. In good faith and to help him, Varghese came out up to the road.
It was there that Raju strangled Varghese to death. Then he arrived at their home and choked Eliyamma to death. Soon after the act, he proceeded with the valuables to Hubballi. After confirming that the police were not looking out for him in and around Kakkinje, he returned to work lest his absence should create any suspicion.
But the police tracked down his movements from mobile tower signals and arrested him. Further enquiries revealed that he had several cases registered against him in some police stations in northern Karnataka.
Further details are yet to be available.
