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

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.

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

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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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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