Date:04/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/04/stories/2008120460380600.htm

Karnataka

Youth shot dead near Belgaum

Staff Correspondent

Land dispute is suspected to have triggered the murder

One person injured in the incident admitted to hospital
Three more accused said to be at large

Caught: The Hubli-Dharwad police frisking Shankaraiah Mathapathi, an accused in the M.K. Hubli shooting incident in Belgaum district on Wednesday. The police intercepted his car and nabbed him at Shibaragatti near Lokur village in Dharwad taluk.

Belgaum: A youth was shot dead by some unidentified persons near M.K. Hubli in Kittur police station limits on Pune-Bangalore National Highway (Express Highway) 4, about 32 km from here, on Wednesday.

The youth has been identified as Demaiah Shivaputrappa Pujari of Kurgund in Bailhongal taluk.

Another person, Jagadish Rudraiah Pujari, who was injured in the incident was taken to the district government hospital and then shifted to KLE Hospital here. Jagadish is said to be a relative of the victim.

According to one version, the assailants attacked Demaiah with weapons and also fired at him at about 12.40 p.m. They then fled in a vehicle towards Dharwad.

The Kittur police have registered a case. It is suspected that the incident is related to land dispute. Ningaiah Pujari, uncle of the victim, also said that there could be a land dispute angle to the incident.

Arrested

Dharwad Staff Correspondent reports:

The Hubli-Dharwad police arrested one person in connection with the shooting at M.K. Hubli, near Belgaum, on Wednesday in which a youth was killed. Following information that the assailants had escaped by car towards Dharwad, the police blocked the main entry points to the city. On seeing the police checking vehicles, the accused took a diversion at Narendra near the bypass in Dharwad. The police gave a chase and intercepted the car at Shibaragatti near Lokur village in Dharwad taluk.

They took the lone person in the car to custody and recovered a sword from him. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Chandiram Singh gave the name of the arrested as Shankaraiah Mathapati of Kotur village in Dharwad taluk.

He said that Shankaraiah had told that the three other accused had got down at Kittur. The police then handed over the arrested person to the Belgaum police.