It was a routine lacking particular person report within the coastal Dakshina Kannada area of Karnataka. In lower than a month, nevertheless, the case would unravel right into a chilling homicide case, the place a person was brutally killed by strangers who simply wanted a automobile to commit robberies.
In November 2008, Ravi Devadiga, a journey firm proprietor from Panja village, visited Mulki police station in Mangaluru. Considered one of his drivers, Praveen Shetty, had gone lacking with an Innova automobile, he instructed the police.
In his criticism, Devadiga talked about that Praveen, who hailed from Theerthahalli in Shivamogga district, had solely joined his agency as a driver two to 3 days in the past. On November 9, Devadiga stated, he left with the Innova however by no means returned. The automobile was registered within the identify of Shanthram Shetty, who had leased it to Devadiga’s journey agency.
“Usually, in such circumstances, our first thought is that the cab driver would have fled with the automobile, as that is what normally occurs,” a police officer who was a part of the probe stated.
The police tried calling Praveen, however his telephone was switched off. They then tried reaching out to his household in Theerthahalli. Nonetheless, they learnt that he had not been residence.
The Mulki police registered a case beneath Part 381 (theft by a clerk or servant of property within the possession of their grasp or employer) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and started the probe.
The police shared the automobile quantity and Praveen’s picture with different police stations and items and began to seek for the lacking driver.
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A physique in a quarry
On November 12, three days after Praveen went lacking, Lokesh Shetty, a subcontractor close to a granite quarry, went to a close-by pond in Kulai village, 15 km away from Mulki, to clean his arms with three different labourers. Lokesh was shocked to see a lifeless physique with its arms tied. He instantly alerted the Surathkal police, who visited the spot. Later, images of the unidentified lifeless physique have been shared with different police stations.
Police Inspector Parameshwar Ananth Hegde visited the spot with Devadiga, who recognized the physique as Praveen’s. However the Innova was nonetheless lacking. The police checked if Praveen had enemies or fights with anyone, however hit a lifeless finish.
An Innova speeds away from a checkpost
Hegde, who’s the present further superintendent of police, Udupi district, recollects that the one piece of data the police had was the Innova quantity. “It was a time when three to 4 robberies had been reported within the Dakshina Kannada district however had remained unsolved. Lorries and autos have been being focused at night time, and other people have been being robbed. We shared the automobile registration quantity and images with different police stations within the district, hoping towards hope,” he stated.
On November 13, 2008, the Karkala police have been checking autos when an Innova with the identical registration quantity fled to evade inspection. The police did not catch the automobile on the time, nevertheless it was later discovered deserted close to Ujire, 55 km away from Karkala.
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Hegde says that he visited the Belthangady police station, the place the automobile was seized. “I had taken Shanthram Shetty, who confirmed that the automobile belonged to him. It was an excellent lead for us. As soon as it was confirmed, we began our technical investigation,” he added.
“We zeroed in on the cellular numbers that have been lively close to the checkpost. We used the identical numbers and matched with people who have been lively on the locations the place the robberies have been reported and on the granite quarry when the incident was reported,” he stated.
The police discovered that a few telephone numbers have been lively in these places. “We came upon that one of many numbers belonged to Safwan Hussain. I bought the knowledge that he was in Koppa in Chikkamagaluru district and caught him,” Hegde stated.
Throughout interrogation, Safwan allegedly revealed the names of his associates, Mohammed Arif, Samshuddin and Moideen, who have been arrested later. In accordance with the police, they killed Praveen as a result of they wanted the Innova to commit robberies.
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“It’s unhappy that Safwan and his associates didn’t know something about Praveen. They killed him simply to make use of the automobile. They kidnapped Praveen and killed him by forcefully immersing him in stagnant water within the granite quarry. They then tied his lifeless physique to a rock and threw it into the water. They put in a pretend registration plate to commit the robberies,” Hegde added.
Setback on the trial court docket
The Mulki police collected proof, together with name element data and CCTV footage, and filed a chargesheet earlier than the classes court docket on December 30, 2008. The accused have been booked beneath IPC sections 363 (kidnapping), 392 (theft), 302 (homicide), and 201 (destruction of proof).
Nonetheless, on March 15, 2013, the third further district and classes court docket in Mangaluru acquitted the accused.
“Sure, it was a giant setback for us, however we have been positive that these have been the accused. We determined to problem the judgment and appealed earlier than the Karnataka Excessive Courtroom,” Hegde recalled.
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“In Praveen Shetty’s homicide case, there have been no eyewitnesses. However within the case of the robberies, the victims had seen them. They gave statements earlier than the court docket and the cellular numbers that have been used on the time of the robberies and the homicide. The court docket thought of these statements and circumstantial proof,” Hegde stated.
On February 28, 2020, the Karnataka Excessive Courtroom convicted the accused to life imprisonment and imposed fines of Rs 1.13 lakh every.
“Having thought of the fabric accessible on document, it’s a match case to return to a conclusion that the trial court docket didn’t think about the proof accessible on document in proper perspective and irresponsibly proceeded in a fallacious footing in coming to the conclusion that the prosecution has not proved the case and the very appreciation of proof accessible on document is nothing however proceeded in a prejudicial method prejudging that the prosecution has not proved its case with an intention to acquit the accused which quantities to miscarriage of justice. Therefore, we’re of the opinion that the trial choose has dedicated an error in acquitting the accused and it requires interference of this court docket by setting apart the order of acquittal,” a bench of Justices S N Satyanarayana and H P Sandesh said within the judgment.
Nonetheless, by then, Safwan, who was additionally concerned in an try and homicide case and different robberies, had fled from India. “He’s suspected to be in some Gulf nation. We have now issued a Crimson Nook Discover. He’s nonetheless absconding,” a police officer stated.
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Hegde was awarded the Union Dwelling Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation in 2021 for fixing the Praveen Shetty homicide case.