The Rise and Fall of Amar Alva: A Tale of Power, Betrayal, and Murder in Mangaluru

Team Udayavani, Oct 21, 2024, 12:43 PM IST

On the afternoon of July 14, 1992, a deadly silence settled over Milagres, a busy neighborhood in Mangaluru. What had been a routine day for many residents became a blood-soaked chapter in the city’s underworld history as bullets rang out near Super Bazar, shattering the air. Amar Alva, a powerful and influential figure in Mangaluru’s shadowy world, lay dead, his body riddled with bullets in front of Milagres Church.

But to understand the magnitude of Amar Alva’s murder, we must first unravel the story of the man who ruled Mangaluru’s underbelly for years—a man who once seemed untouchable. This entire saga was recounted by Mohan Bolangadi, a senior crime reporter who had followed Alva’s rise and fall closely.

 The Charismatic Kingpin

Amar Alva was a man of immense charisma and influence. Born into a well-to-do family, Alva enjoyed both wealth and respect. He served as the president of the All College Students’ Union, a position that gave him significant clout in the coastal city of Mangaluru, particularly among the youth. But Alva was more than just a leader. He was a businessman with diverse ventures including a popular ready-made garment store named Fashion Jungle in Hampankatta. Yet, his empire wasn’t built on legitimate businesses alone.

Alva had powerful connections in the underworld, ties that stretched beyond Mangaluru to Mumbai’s notorious Shetty clan, and even to Dawood Ibrahim’s fearsome gang. His association with Ashok Shetty, infamously known as Ashok Lambu, and Sharad Shetty—two of Dawood’s key lieutenants—made him a valuable player in their gold smuggling operations along the Mangaluru coast. Amar Alva was their trusted landing agent, the man who facilitated the smooth inflow of contraband from Dubai to the shores of Karnataka.

With a convoy of cars and a posse of over a dozen burly men at his command, Amar Alva seemed indestructible. But power in the underworld comes at a steep price. Friends turn into enemies, and allegiances can shift like sand in the wind. This is where the seeds of his downfall were sown.

The Beginning of the End

As narrated by Mohan Bolagadi in a youtube video, the events leading to Amar Alva’s murder were set in motion by a seemingly small crime. Yathish Shetty, a local criminal, had robbed Rs 6 lakh havala money from Prabhakar Shetty in Udupi. When Prabhakar complained to Alva, the powerful don took it upon himself to recover the stolen money. Alva, wielding his influence, demanded that Yathish return the money, even reaching out to Yathish’s associate, Kinnu, for help. But Yathish refused. What started as a mere financial dispute spiraled into a deadly confrontation.

Alva then threatened Yathish’s family, leaving the younger criminal with no choice but to flee to Bombay. There, Yathish took refuge under the protection of Bhaskar Shetty, another figure in the underworld. Yathish also met Ballalbagh Raghu, who, in turn, informed Ashok Shetty about the ongoing feud. Unbeknownst to Alva, his former business partner, Ashok Shetty, had been harboring a grudge against him, dating back to a dispute over a Rs 6 crore silver consignment. The old rift provided the perfect backdrop for a murderous conspiracy.

 The Deadly Plot

Ashok Shetty, Yathish Shetty, and their associates formulated a plan to eliminate Amar Alva. Yathish returned to Mangaluru, accompanied by Shrikar and Murali, and took up residence in a local lodge. They reached out to Alva, pretending they wanted to return the stolen money, and lured him into a meeting. However, Alva’s instincts and network of spies alerted him to the trap. Sharad Shetty, another close business associate, warned Alva of the plot in time. Yathish and his men were forced to flee to Bangalore, where they allegedly sought the help of yet another underworld figure—Muthappa Rai.

Muthappa Rai, a feared don in his own right, had his own motives for wanting Alva dead. The two had once been allies, teaming up to eliminate their mutual rival, Don Jayaraj. But in the ever-shifting landscape of Mangaluru’s underworld, alliances are short-lived. Rai saw in Alva’s demise an opportunity to take full control of the city. He urged Yathish to continue plotting and strike when Alva least expected it.

 The Final Betrayal

Yathish and his gang returned to Mangaluru, patiently gathering information on Alva’s movements. The opportunity they were waiting for came on July 14, 1992—Alva had ordered a birthday cake for his daughter and would be collecting it from Milagres. As he arrived near Super Bazar, Yathish and his accomplices lay in wait, concealed near the church.

In broad daylight, they struck.

Gunfire erupted, and Amar Alva, once the king of Mangaluru, fell to the ground, his lifeless body surrounded by blood and chaos. His loyal men—Manjunath Shetty, Vijaya Nayak, Kedarnath Shetty, and others—were caught in the crossfire, injured but alive. Yathish himself sustained injuries in the attack but managed to flee. The city was in shock.

 Justice Denied

The murder of Amar Alva sent ripples through Mangaluru and beyond. Seven men were accused of the crime, but the legal system failed to deliver justice. One by one, the accused were acquitted. The final blow to the case came in 2017, when the Karnataka High Court acquitted the last of the accused, Ashok Shetty.

Amar Alva’s murder remains an unsolved mystery in the eyes of the law, but for those who lived through the era of his reign, the story of his rise and fall is as vivid as ever. It’s a reminder that in the world of crime, power is fleeting, and betrayal can come from the closest of allies.

Alva’s death marked the end of an era in Mangaluru’s underworld, but the city’s criminal legacy lives on, with new faces rising to claim the throne left behind by fallen kings.