Kadaba: Missing man found dead; Friend accused of his murder

Kadaba: Sandeep Gowda (29), a resident of Munglimajalu in Bilinele village, who had been missing for several days, was found dead in a decomposed state in the Naradka forest, approximately 1.5 km from the Nettana railway station, on Monday evening.

Friend Accused of Murder

Investigations revealed that Sandeep was allegedly murdered by his friend Prateek, a resident of Nettana, over a financial dispute. Police suspect that Prateek killed Sandeep near a hill close to the Nettana railway station using an iron rod, later attempting to burn the body in the forest to cover up the crime.

Sandeep, who worked in shamiana installations with a colleague, went missing on November 27 after leaving home for work. His mother reported that Sandeep had finished work and left with Prateek in a car. Based on this information, the police detained Prateek and another individual on December 1. During interrogation, Prateek confessed to the crime.

Public Outrage

Local residents, angered by the incident, blocked the police vehicle and demanded that the accused be handed over to them. They claimed that it was impossible for one person to commit the crime alone and insisted on the immediate arrest of all involved.

Earlier on Monday morning, Sandeep’s mother, relatives, and villagers gathered at the Kadaba police station, expressing dissatisfaction with the police’s handling of the case. They alleged that police delayed registering a missing persons complaint and only acted after MLC Kishore Kumar intervened.

The protesters accused the police of negligence and demanded that officers who had initially refused to file the complaint be dismissed.

MLC Kishore Kumar visited the police station, consoled Sandeep’s family, and urged officials, including Additional SP Rajendra D.S., DySP Arun Nagegowda, and Circle Inspector Ravi G.S., to conduct an impartial investigation.

BJP leaders Venkat Valalambhe and Krishna Shetty alleged that a Congress leader was trying to shield the accused.

Cover-up Attempt by the Accused

Prateek reportedly kept Sandeep’s body in a car for a day before attempting to dispose of it in the Naradka forest. Before being detained, he pretended innocence, claiming to acquaintances that he had only dropped Sandeep off at Nettana and was being wrongly suspected.

The case has sparked widespread outrage, with locals demanding swift justice and a thorough investigation into the crime.