Now Reading: Dispute over Adani contract led to Udupi Congress leader murder: police
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Dispute over Adani contract led to Udupi Congress leader murder: police
Dispute over Adani contract led to Udupi Congress leader murder: police
Police in Udupi have alleged that Congress leader and former gram panchayat president David D'Souza was murdered over a multi-crore contract dispute. SP Hariram Shankar said contractor Kishore Anand Poojary planned the…
Police in Udupi have alleged that Congress leader and former gram panchayat president David D'Souza was murdered over a multi-crore contract dispute. SP Hariram Shankar said contractor Kishore Anand Poojary planned the conspiracy after Adani Udupi Power Corporation Limited awarded a pipeline and road project at Yermal to D'Souza instead of him. D'Souza was shot dead on August 7.
Eight people have been arrested so far, including the alleged shooters and those who arranged finances. Police found bank transactions linking the accused to Mohammed Irshad, Chirag Poojary and Sadananda Devadiga. Investigators also discovered an underworld connection, with calls made to UPCL officials pressuring them to award the contract to Kishore, using the name of his brother Hemanth Poojary, who has been in prison for 25 years.
Police said the conspiracy was planned about six months ago, and approximately Rs 10 lakh was set aside as payment for the shooters. Anuj, who allegedly coordinated the shooters, was traced to Belagavi and attempted to escape when being taken into custody. The exact role of Hemanth Poojary is yet to be established, and police continue to investigate.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The murder of a local politician over a public works contract fits a pattern familiar in coastal Karnataka, where construction tenders have repeatedly led to violence. In 2023 alone, at least three gram panchayat-level contractors in the region were attacked following project awards. The contract in dispute is with Adani Udupi Power Corporation Limited, a subsidiary of the Adani Group’s power generation arm. Under Karnataka’s Panchayat Raj Act, gram panchayat presidents like D’Souza have significant influence over local infrastructure contracts, which creates a potential conflict of interest when they also work as private contractors. The police claim the conspiracy was hatched six months ago, and that Rs 10 lakh was earmarked for the shooters. The key evidence now rests on the financial trail linking the arrested accused to the alleged mastermind Kishore Anand Poojary. The trial court will hear the remand applications of the newly arrested suspects on Wednesday.
Source: deccanherald.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
