Is the Bangalore City police trying to play safe and help accused film producer Goverdhan Murthy to get away with minimal charges?
BANGALORE: Is the Bangalore City police trying to play safe and help accused film producer Goverdhan Murthy to get away with minimal charges?
The drama of the high profile murder of film actor Vinod Kumar (32) has now raised several questions, despite the arrest of the main accused Murthy. Statements made by the city police points to the doubt if they are attempting to close the case by saying that there was no real motive behind the murder. It was just that Murthy was in an inebriated state.
Goverdhan alias Goverdhan Murthy (33), a native of Bilishivale in Doddagubbi and his associate Navin Kumar alias Babu alias Langda Babu (30), resident of Rammurthynagar were arrested on Saturday from Kundanur in Trisshur district in Kerala, 80 km from Kochi.
NO REAL MOTIVE:
On Sunday, Commissioner of Police, Shankar M Bidari said that Murthy in his confession statement said that he was in an inebriated state and did not realise what he had done. ``He was handling the guns like they were toys and while playing with it, Murthy shot Vinod. The two men did not have any rivalry or enemity. We are investigating the case,'' he said.
Bidari said that Murthy was planning to flee the country. ``His passport and gun license has been cancelled. His bank accounts had already been frozen,'' he said. When asked if the case would now go to the Corps of Detectives, Bidari said, ``we had feared that Murthy would influence police officials and this might harm the case. But, now, there is no need for that,'' he said.
How Murthy was traced
The city police received information that Murthy was attempting to arrange for money to appoint a lawyer and get the case closed in the least problematic manner. ``He got in touch with Bangalore based businessman Ajam, through Prabhakar, the manager of a garment factory owned by Murthy. We started tracking Prabhakar's calls and found that he was in Shimoga, on his way to Bangalore, to meet Ajam, to collect the money. Before he could meet Ajam, we caught him and questioned him,'' said Basavaraj Malagatti, DCP (North East).
During interrogation, Prabhakar revealed that Murthy was in touch with a student Deepesh and Langda Babu's friend Madhu, who is a native of Kerala. Police raided house in KR Puram, Ramamurthynagar and Kamanahalli. ``We found that Murthy calling landline numbers, to avoid being traced. He wanted Rs 25 lakh to be delivered to him. He was to use Rs 10 lakh to pay a lawyer, Rs 10 lakh to run his garment factory in Bangalore and Rs 5 lakh to flee the country. He was also taking the help of one Ramadevi, the manager of LG Company, owned by Murthy. Ramadevi was providing him information about developments in Bangalore,'' said the police.
On Friday, the police received information that Madhu and Deepesh had already boarded Kanyakumari Express at 2 am and were to go to Thrissur. ``We got information that the two had got off at Wadakancheri railway station in Kerala. We sent a team immediately and kept a track of their whereabouts,'' said the police.
A team of police officials who went to Kerala arrested Goverdhan Murthy and Langda Babu from Kundanur in Thrissur. Police have seized two pistols of 7.6 mm caliber and cartridges containing bullets. ``One pistol belongs to Murthy and he had a license from Bangalore Rural office. The other unlicensed pistol was Murthy's gift to Babu. We have also seized Babu's passport. We have also seized Murthy's Scorpio car (KA 03 MK 8030),'' said a police official.
DCP Basavaraj Malagatti told DNA that Murthy, Babu, Prabhakar have been produced before the magistrate and will be in police custody for one week. ``The two pistols have been sent to the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) for examination to confirm that Murthy had used his pistol to shoot Vinod Kumar,'' he said.
How he escaped after the murder
On October 6, after the murder of Vinod Kumar, Murthy fled from his farmhouse in his Innova car (3080) along with his associates Deena, Tripati and Ganapathy, to Chikkaballapur. He dropped off the Innova car fearing that he would be traced. He later took the help of rowdy-sheeter Navin Kumar to flee from there. Murthy drove in his Scorpio car to Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and later reached Kerala. He had switched off his cell phone and decided to live a middle class life to avoid any suspicion. Murthy changed his location everyday and stayed at lodges, hotels and farmhouses. The city police used the help of 60 witnesses and mobile service centers to avoid Murthy from changing his cell phone sim card.
Still at large
The other associates of Murthy—Ramesh, Deenu alias Dinesh, gunmen Ganapathy and Tripati are still at large. Police are looking out for them and said that they will be caught within two days.
On October 6, actor Vinod Kumar was shot dead by film producer Goverdhan Murthy at his farmhouse L G Rose Heritage on Bagalur Main Road, near Hosur Bande. Murthy had called his friends including realtor Shankar Reddy to a party where Vinod was shot. Shankar Reddy, Iver Babu, Srinivas Murthy, Venkatesh Prasad were also present when the incident occurred.
Commissioner rewards investigating team
The Commissioner of Police, Shankar M Bidari announced that the department was proud about the main accused being caught within six days, after he went absconding. ``We are rewarding Rs 20,000 to each officer who were on the team during investigation and they will be given certificates for their gallantry,'' he added.
m_soumya@dnaindia.net
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}