Vijayapura: Lawyer’s death in road accident turns out to be pre-planned murder

Vijayapura: The death of a lawyer on August 8, initially believed to be an accident, has now been confirmed as a premeditated murder driven by old enmity, according to police investigations. Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, while efforts are ongoing to locate others involved.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, Superintendent of Police Sonawane Rishikesh Bhagawan provided details of the incident. The incident occurred on August 8 around 5:30 PM when Ravi Melinakere, a young lawyer from the city, was struck by an Innova car and dragged for about 2.5 kilometers, resulting in his death.

Initially registered as an accident, police investigations soon revealed clues pointing to a deliberate murder. Based on these findings, the police arrested five suspects: Tulasiram Harijan, Alex Gollar, Shanmukh Naduvinakere, Prakash Gollar, and Murugesh Ullagaddi. All the arrested individuals are daily wage laborers with criminal backgrounds, and have previously faced charges such as murder, attempted murder, robbery, and intimidation across various police stations in the district.

The investigation revealed that the arrested individuals, along with others, had plotted the murder of Ravi Melinakere, who was returning home from court. They deliberately collided with him using an unregistered Innova car and dragged him along the road, leading to his immediate death.

According to police, the motive for the murder stems from a previous altercation in which Ravi, along with his brothers, had assaulted Tulasiram Harijan around 4-5 months ago and threatened to kill him. Additionally, about 20 days prior, Ravi had allegedly kidnapped and threatened to kill another individual named Alex Gollar. These incidents fueled the enmity that led to the murder plot orchestrated by Tulasiram and his associates.

The investigation also uncovered that the unregistered Innova used in the murder had been forcefully taken from a person named Sachin during a gambling session, in which the accused won ₹1 lakh. Further investigations revealed that two individuals were monitoring Ravi’s movements from the court to his home and providing updates to the perpetrators.

The police believe that more individuals were involved in this conspiracy, and efforts are underway to locate those who are still at large. The investigative team, led by DSP Basavaraj, Golgumbaz CPI Mahantesh Mathpati, and Gandhi Chowk CPI Pradeep Talakeri, has been commended for their swift action in solving the case. The team will be rewarded during the Independence Day parade for their commendable work.