Wrong track delayed murder probe

Investigation into the murder of Oriental Bank manager Shankar Poojari has revealed that his killers did not intend to kill him. The two eatery employees killed him to avoid being reported to the police when Poojari recognised one of them after yanking off one of their monkey cap when they were trying to rob him at his home in Yediyur.

The incident took place on September 25, 2011. The two attackers—Jayakumar alias Anil, 24, and KM Yogesh, 21—who worked as cooks in New Shanti Sagar Hotel near Poojari’s residence in Yediyur—were arrested on December 30, after an initial probe unsuccessfully pursued Poojari’s alleged illicit relation with a woman as the cause of his murder. The wrong line of investigation was taken after a preliminary inspection at the murder spot revealed a condom packet in the deceased’s pocket, an investigating officer told DNA.

However, a sustained suspicion by one of the investigating officers that this murder could be the outcome of a failed attempt of robbery brought the probe back on the right track to finally yield the required results.

The revised investigations revealed that Poojari, a native of Kundapura, used to frequent New Shanti Sagar Hotel in Yediyur, on Kanakapura Road, and had befriended many employees at the eatery.

A thorough probe also revealed that two of the hotel cooks were absent from work on the day of Poojari’s killing and the day after. But they had resumed duty to avoid raising suspicions among the investigators over their prolonged absence from work just after Poojari’s murder.

Jayakumar and Yogesh were then taken into custody and questioned, which revealed that they had killed Poojari only after he had removed the monkey cap of one of them and had recognised him when they were attempting to rob him. The two had hidden themselves on the terrace of the building Poojari used to live in, waiting for him to return from dinner.

Upon his arrival, when Poojari opened the door to his apartment to enter, the duo pounced on him and took him inside his apartment, closing the door behind him.

In the ensuing scuffle between Poojari and his attackers, the former managed to pull away one of their monkey caps, which they wore to prevent him from recognising them.

Once exposed, they strangulated him after stabbing him in the abdomen. A deep mark caused by a sharp instrument—the knife carried by the attackers—on the side of Poojari’s throat indicated that the two had held him at knife-point for a long time, and could have killed him earlier had they intended to do so, the police said.

The accused also revealed that they befriended Poojari when he used to visit them and even watch television with the hotel employees.

The attackers could only get a gold chain and Rs3,500 in cash from Poojari’s house.