Karthik Raj murder: Sister, her boyfriend, his brother acquitted for want of evidence

coastaldigest.com news network
April 30, 2018

Mangaluru, Apr 30: A local court today acquitted all the three accused in the sensational Karthik Raj murder case.

Karthik Raj, an engineering graduate and resident of Sudarshan Nagar in Pajeer was murdered during his jogging routine in October 2016 near Asaigoli under the limits of Konaje police station.

Though the BJP had blamed Muslims and Congress for the murder, finally it had come to light that he was murdered by his family member.

The police had arrested Karthik Raj's sister Kavyashree, her boyfriend Gautam Kayya and latter’s brother Gaurav on April 29, 2017. Ironically, exactly a year after the arrest, the principal district and sessions court in Manglauru acquitted in the case due to lack of evidence.

According to the charge sheet, the murder was a result of misunderstanding between the siblings over family issue. Karthik’s sister Kavyashree had an illicit relation with Gautam Kayya, after she refused to live with her husband Shashwat. This had angered Karthik.

Meanwhile, Gautam, who was constructing a house in Kondana, had fallen short of cash. Kavyashree, who resented her brother’s interference in her private life, lured him with an offer of Rs 5 lakh to murder Karthik. Gautam took help of his brother Gaurav Kayya and allegedly murdered Karthik when he went out for his regular morning jogging.

The murder had taken a political turn with the infamous comment of Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel that the BJP would set fire to the district if police failed to nab the assailant of Karthik Raj at a protest rally outside Konaje police station. Incidentally, Kavyashree, the main accused too was present at this very protest meeting.

Judge KS Bilagi heard 33 witnesses and ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations against the accused. Advocates Venu Kumar, Yuvaraj K Amin and Udayananda had argued for the accused.

Also Read: Karthik Raj murder: Victim’s sister, her boyfriend, his younger brother arrested

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News Network
December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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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 20,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 20: The Mangaluru City Police have issued a detailed traffic advisory ahead of the inaugural ceremony of Karavali Utsava, which will be held at the Karavali Utsava Ground on Saturday.

The festival will be inaugurated at 6:00 pm by Dakshina Kannada District Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. Cultural and public programmes will be held at the venue every evening and will continue until January 2.

According to City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy, parking of vehicles is strictly prohibited on both sides of the road from Lalbagh to Karavali Utsava Ground. Visitors are requested to park their vehicles only at designated parking areas.

To help the public, traffic signboards and parking guidance flex boards have been installed along the routes leading to the venue. The police have urged commuters and visitors to follow these instructions to ensure smooth traffic movement.

Designated Parking Locations

•    Urwa Market Ground – Cars
•    Gandhinagar Government School (near Press Club) – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Ladyhill Church parking area – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Canara School Ground, Mannagudda – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Thimmappa Hotel premises – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Scout and Guide Bhavana premises (behind Karavali Utsava Grounds) – Two-wheelers
•    Urwa Market Road – Two-wheelers
•    Hat Hill Road – Two-wheelers

The police have appealed to the public to cooperate by following traffic rules and parking guidelines to avoid inconvenience during the festival.

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