Insisting that there is no proof of the movie producer being drunk at the time of the murder, police say business rivalry could be the reason
Insisting that there is no proof of the movie producer being drunk at the time of the murder, police say business rivalry could be the reason
BANGALORE :The Bangalore city police, which had earlier stated that film producer Goverdhan Murthy was in an inebriated state when he shot actor Vinod Kumar (32) on October 6, is now likely to build the case by trying to prove that he was not intoxicated when the incident occurred.
The Bagalur police will file a charge sheet in which the motive for the murder will be mentioned as business rivalry.
North-East DCP Basavaraj Malagatti said the police charge sheet, which will be filed soon, won't state that Murthy was drunk while committing the crime. "There seems to be a business rivalry angle to this case. Murthy was envious of people who were doing better than him. The case will become weak if we state that he was under the influence of alcohol, and we don't even have any proof of that. None of the eyewitnesses say Murthy was drunk, either," said Malagatti.
Murthy, in his statement to the police, said he was in an inebriated state and did not know what he was doing. According to eyewitness Shankar Reddy, an realtor, Murthy had apologised for having shot Vinod immediately after the incident.
Shirt sent to FSL
Murthy's shirt, which was recovered from his Scorpio car after his arrest, has been sent to the Bangalore Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination. Stating that Murthy was wearing it on the night of the murder, Malagatti said, "It will have traces of gunpowder, which will prove he had shot Vinod." His pistol was recovered from a garment factory in Hosur.
Subterfuge attempts
According to police, there have been attempts from various quarters to impede the police investigation. Malagatti said that Murthy's bodyguard, Dinesh alias Deena, who surrendered on Sunday, had owned up to the murder earlier. "In return for admitting to the murder, Deena was offered monetary and legal help by Murthy's brother, Chennakeshava. He even promised to get Deena's sister married and arrange for a house for them," said Malagatti.
Duo taken to Thrissur
Murthy and his associate, Navin Kumar alias Babu alias Langda Babu, were taken to all the places they had visited while they were absconding. "They had been to Chikkaballapur, Shidllaghatta and Mulbagal in Kolar; Vellore in Tamil Nadu; and Guruvayoor, Kochi and Thrissur in Kerala. We have sent a team to check on all the places they visited as well as the lodges they stayed," said B Ramachandrappa, ACP (Sampigehalli).
The two other accused, Tripathi (the gunman) and Ramesh, are still at large. Police suspect that they may be holed up in Thrissur, Kerala.
Police sources said Murthy had undertaken over 25 foreign trips, in the last two years, especially to Singapore and Dubai. "We have received information that he has cheated several people in these countries," the police officer said.
m_soumya@dnaindia.net
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