Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Oct 10: In a major breakthrough in a long-pending high-profile murder case, Bharath Kumdel, the prime accused in the 2017 murder of Kalayi Ashraf, appeared before the District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru on Thursday after spending nearly eight years evading arrest.
Kumdel, a resident of Bantwal taluk, was wanted in Crime No. 169/2017 under Bantwal Town police station limits. The case is registered under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 143, 147, 148, 447, 448, 302 (murder), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 201 (destruction of evidence), and 149 (unlawful assembly). Following his unexpected appearance, the court remanded him to judicial custody until October 25.
Just as the murder trial was set to gain traction, yet another case has been registered against Kumdel. Crime No. 54/2025, under the Bantwal Rural police station, includes charges under the newly implemented Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), namely Sections 103, 109, 118(1), 190, 191(1), 118(2), 191(2), and 191(3). Police sources confirmed that Bharath Kumdel was listed as Accused No. 1 in this case as well, and had been on the run since the day it was registered.
Kumdel’s criminal record spans nearly two decades and multiple police stations, reflecting a long and consistent pattern of serious offences. In 2006, he was booked in Crime No. 121/2006 at Bantwal Rural police station under IPC Sections 341, 427, and 324 read with Section 34.
In 2007, he faced another case (Crime No. 184/2007) for offences under Sections 341, 504, 323, 324, and 506 read with Section 34. A year later, in 2009, Crime No. 79/2009 was registered against him under Sections 143, 147, 148, 427, and 324 read with Section 149.
In 2010, Crime No. 154/2010 charged him with Sections 143, 147, 148, 341, 504, and 326 read with Section 149, as well as Section 2(a) of the Karnataka Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act (KPADLPA).
The following year, he was booked again in Crime No. 245/2011 under Sections 341, 524, 504, 323, 324, and 506 read with Section 34. In 2012, two separate cases were filed against him: Crime No. 157/2012 (Sections 323, 504, 506) and Crime No. 126/2012 (Sections 143, 147, 148, 504, 324, 506, and 307 read with Section 149).
The pattern continued with Crime No. 54/2013 (Sections 341, 323, 504, 506, 109 read with Section 34), Crime No. 240/2015 (Sections 143, 147, 148, 504, 307, 353, 120(B) read with Section 149), and Crime No. 74/2016 (Sections 143, 147, 148, 323, 324, 504, and 506 read with Section 149). In 2017, Crime No. 223/2017 under Sections 504 and 307 read with Section 34 was added to his growing list of charges.
More recently, in 2023, Uppinangady police station registered Crime No. 130/2023 under Sections 143, 147, 447, 323, and 355 read with Section 149 of the IPC, as well as Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. In 2024, Bantwal Town police station booked him under Crime No. 152/2024 for offences under Sections 196(1) and 352 read with Section 3(5) of the BNS. Most recently, in 2025, Puttur Town police station registered Crime No. 35/2025 under Sections 196 and 353(2) of the BNS.