Udupi: The mystery around hotelier Bhasker Shetty’s missing case has finally been solved and disgusting truth is that his wife and son tortured him to death.
In a crucial twist to the story, the missing case has now been registered as murder case after the police arrested Shetty’s wife Rajeshwari and son Navaneeth.
What remains to be a mystery now is the intention behind the crime and as per sources, it is suspected that an illicit relationship between Rajeshwari and an young astrologer named Niranjan Bhat, who is also involved in the crime could have been the reason for the killing.
It is said that on learning of his wife’s misdeed, Shetty was contemplating to strike off her name as nominee for his property. A raged Shetty had also withdrawn huge amount of money that he had invested into business run by Rajeshwari. Worried by the same, Rajeshwari must have teamed up with her alleged lover and son and executed the crime, say sources.
Startling but true, ever since Shetty went missing, the mother-son duo had sold theories of Shetty having affairs with several women. As per them Shetty was married to a woman with whom he even fathered a four-year-old child. The son’s initial statement too said that he assaulted his father because he was fed up of the persistent harassment that his mother was undergoing at hands of his father, who wanted a divorce so that he could live with the other woman. Police sources have refuted claims of Shetty’s affair and the likes as mere rumours.
On Sunday, Shetty’s Indrali residence was inspected by forensic team and what led he police to the conclusion that Shetty was murdered were the blood stains that remained on the floor of the house.
As per sources, the killer wife-son duo had confessed to the crime and had even revealed the details of the torture that they meted on Shetty before charring him to death in collaboration with an astrologer named Niranjan Bhat, who remains absconding.
The Confession
The wife has reportedly confessed and said that Shetty was first splashed with chilli powder, than smothered in the bath tub in the residence, strangled and then charred.
As reported earlier, the body was put into a ‘homa kunda’ (sacred fire place) and burnt using a lot of clarified butter and petrol, at the residence of the astrologer in Nandalike.
The wife has also confessed that she and her son remained at the spot till the body was half burnt. However, the two have claimed that they are not aware of the whereabouts of the ashes.
The police have got crucial evidences to establish the fact that the businessman whose worth runs into crores of rupees was killed in his very own residence. However, what has turned into a puzzle for the police is to find where the dead body is and for that the police need to trace Niranjan Bhat, who had disposed the ashes.
House sealed
The palatial house of Shetty, located merely 50 mts from Indrali bus stand has been sealed by the police team which started investigation from the residence itself. As per the investigating team, only Rajeshwari and her son lived in the house built at crores of rupees, before Shetty came from Saudi this time around. On the night, when the killer wife-son duo tried to kill him, he must have raised alarm, but his plea fell on deaf ears as there are no houses situated in close proximity to the house.
Body not burnt at Nandalike
While some claim that the body was disposed at Niranjan Bhat’s house in Nandalike, many say that since the astrologer’s house is situated right next to the road and since the ‘homa’ area has open and grilled walls, disposing mortal remains of a human being is not an easy task.
But, the cops feel that the entire murder was pre-conspired and planned murder. As per sources, Niranjan Bhat’s mother had injured herself and was undergoing treatment in a private hospital from July 24 to August 1. The police suspect that the body must have been burnt on July 27 or 28.
Meanwhile, the nieghbours of Bhat are in a state of shock after knowing that there could be even farthest possibility of Bhat’s involvement in the case. They have always known him as a polite and kind young man who remained away from unwanted scuffles and problems.
Unbiased probe
Meanwhile, a lot of people have raised apprehension over the case reaching a logical end, fearing that the killer duo would have their way utilising the money they have. However, aptly Minister for fisheries and local MLA Pramodh Madhwaraj had directed the police to deal the case with all seriousness and also probe in an unbiased manner.
About Bhasker Shetty
Shetty hailed from economically backward family that lived in Subhashnagar in Katapady. About 30 years ago Shetty left to Saudi Arabia and his fortune changed. He is not just the owner of Hotel Durga International in Udupi but has host of other properties as well, not just in India, but in Saudi as well. His wife Rajeshwari hails from a reputed family in Padubidri. Son Navneeth, aged about 21 is an engineering dropout, who was debarred from college for his violent streak. He had recently started a gym in Udupi.