Bengaluru: Doctor murdered, his body dumped in river

Team Udayavani, Jan 14, 2025, 12:37 PM IST

Representative image (credit: Shutterstock)

Bengaluru: Seven months after the disappearance of an Ayurvedic doctor, police in Banashankari have uncovered that a broker involved in a property deal killed him and dumped his body in the backwaters of the Lakshmana Tirtha River.

According to police, the victim, Anand (44), a resident of Jayanagar, was murdered by broker Mohammed Ghouse alias Ghouse (31), Nadeem Pasha (32), and Syed Noor Pasha (39), all residents of Banashankari.

Police revealed that on July 9, 2024, the accused killed Anand and disposed of his body in the river near Mysuru. Anand’s relative, Raghupathi Rajagopal, had filed a missing person complaint at the Banashankari police station, leading to an extensive investigation that ultimately identified and apprehended the suspects.

Property deal gone wrong

Anand had sold his house in Jayanagar 7th Block to Prasad for Rs 90 lakh through intermediaries Mohammed Ghouse, Kishore, and Santosh. A sum of Rs 45 lakh was handed over to them, who shared it among themselves. The house key was handed over to Prasad without Anand’s knowledge, and the house was later demolished for reconstruction, police said.

A dispute arose during the transaction, leading Anand to file a complaint against Prasad. In response, Prasad assured Anand that the remaining Rs 45 lakh would be paid if the complaint was withdrawn.

Meanwhile, Anand, who was staying at a lodge in Mysuru, persistently called Mohammed Ghouse, urging him to travel to Bengaluru. Fearing exposure of his fraud, Ghouse conspired with his accomplices to kill Anand, police added.

On July 9, 2024, the accused convinced Anand to travel to Bengaluru with them. During the journey, at around 2:30 AM, they stopped near the Sagarakatte Bridge close to the KRS Reservoir. Taking advantage of Anand’s drowsiness, they strangled him with a nylon rope and later disposed of his body in the river, police said.

Investigation and Arrests

Raghupathi had initially filed a missing complaint on July 18 after failing to locate Anand. A habeas corpus petition was also filed in the Karnataka High Court, prompting the police to expedite their investigation.

In October, police traced Anand’s mobile phone to Chhattisgarh, where they identified a person linked to Syed Noor Pasha. Upon questioning Syed Noor Pasha, he confessed to the murder, leading to the arrest of all suspects.

On July 11, an unidentified body had been recovered from the backwaters near Mysuru’s Yelwal. Forensic confirmation later established the body as Anand’s. The missing person case was subsequently converted into a murder case.

Since the crime occurred within the jurisdiction of Mysuru district, the case has now been handed over to local police, officials said.