Supari killers behind Mahanteshs murder?

BANGALORE: Following Mahantesh's death, the High Grounds police, who had registered an attempt to murder case earlier, have changed it to a murder case under section 302 of the IPC. The police have formed four special teams to crack the case. “The teams are headed by an ACP and three inspectors. I, personally, am supervising the investigations. There are so many leads on personal and professional front and we are working on them,” DCP of Central division, B R Ravikanthe Gowda told Express.“The teams are going through the audit reports of Mahantesh during his tenure. Some reports indicate that Mahantesh was working on a file in which some people have violated rules. Investigations are on to confirm their role behind the murder,” an officer said.The police also suspect that some supari (contract) killers are behind the murder. “It is suspected that the assailants followed Mahantesh from Sahakarnagar, where he had gone on duty. There are a lot of vehicles commuting on the BIA Road, the assailants could have not attacked him there. The assailants might have waylaid and attacked him near Atria Hotel as there are not many people on that road,” the officer explained.However, sources informed that the officer’s call details were pointing that the murder could have taken place due to personal reasons. Not the first of its kind:This is not the first incident where a government officer is being murdered. Assistant Conservator of Forest, Madan Naik, was assaulted and killed by a group of tourists at Dandeli in Uttara Kannada district on May 6.The government has ordered a CID probe into Naik's murder and the police have arrested six persons in this connection. The family members of Mahantesh are also demanding a CID probe into the death of the officer.