PhD scholar kills girlfriend; createsDrishyam' model alibi to keep cops away

October 19, 2016

Hubballi, Oct 19: The brutal murder of a 23-year-old woman, which shook Hubballi on May 30, 2015, was committed by none other than her boyfriend who took inspiration from Kannada thrillerDrishya'(remake of Malayalam film Drishyam, starring Mohanlal) to create an alibi and evade arrest for more than a year, police have said.

alibi
Arun Shivalingappa Patil, 24, now pursuing PhD in agriculture, had decided to murder his girlfriend, Arpita Girimalla Biradar, as she kept pestering him to marry her. The couple had met while studying BSc (Agriculture) in Vijayapura and fallen in love. After graduation, Patil moved on and relocated to Bengaluru to pursue MSc at the University of Agricultural Sciences.

Arpita enrolled at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, and shared a hostel room with a friend. She remained committed to the relationship. She often asked Patil about their marriage. When he didn't commit, she threatened to take up the matter with his parents. He got upset and decided to eliminate her. He devised a murder plot by taking inspiration from V Ravichandran-starrerDrishya'. In the film, the protagonist creates cast-iron alibi to save his family from being prosecuted for murder.

Before departing for Hubballi, Patil left his mobile phone at his hostel room to prove his presence in Bengaluru. He also managed to mark attendance in absentia. Once in Hubballi, he called the victim by landline and asked her to meet him near Gabbur Cross on the outskirts of the city. When the victim turned up for the meeting, Patil strangled her. Police later found her body in a farm field adjacent to a service road that runs parallel to National Highway 4 near Gabbur Cross.

Cracking the case proved a challenge for the jurisdictional Kasbapeth police as the suspect didn't use a mobile phone. But they found sufficient clues to suspect that it was a carefully planned murder. They strongly suspected Patil and went after him. But he had left behind few trails. They interrogated him. Sifting through his belongings, they stumbled upon a diary which gave away some clues about the murder.

Subjected to intense interrogation, Patil confessed to the crime, Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Panduranga Rane told a press conference on Tuesday. The commissioner said the police team which solved the case would be suitably rewarded.

Comments

shaji
 - 
Wednesday, 19 Oct 2016

I appreciate and salute the police team who managed to arrest the real killer. I wish same treatment should be given to him as he may try same thing again if he let free. This is a lesson to people who fell in love. Girls, you should note that 90 percent of love marriages end up in divorce or murder. Why dont u follow the old habits or arranged marriage which are safe. Love marriage and live together without marriage is western culture which has no value. Dont follow mad western people who have no sense. They live like animal. In my opinion animals are better than these so called most civilized people.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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News Network
December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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