Silvester D’ Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Oct 17: A hotelier whose business was flourishing and was in need of employees for his hotel was promised with the supply of workers needed by him. He was murdered by making him drink soft drink laced with poison within Bailhongal police station limits in Belagavi district.

The victim was Chandrashekhar Shetty (40), a native of Idoor - Kunhadi village in the taluk, who operated hotel business at Bailhongal.

Chandrashekar, son of Koragayya Shetty from Horotti in Iduoor-Kunhadi village, had first started a petty shop selling pan. He later started a vegetarian restaurant ‘Karavali’ near the bus stand as per his brother’s advice, under partnership with his brother. The business in the hotel picked up. His younger brother Nagaraj Shetty was running the restaurant. Shetty had three hotels out of which one was started just three months back.

Chandrashekhar is survived by wife and a 12-year-old son. His funeral was performed on Sunday.

It is said that when Shetty was returning after visiting Sangolli village in his vehicle on October 8, unidentified persons had intercepted him and forced him to consume soft drink mixed with poison.

A stranger had visited Shetty's hotel for tea in the morning on October 6 had promised to provide additional workers if he came near Sangolli Baba dhaba. Chandrashekar told his wife that he was going to the dhaba to find workers, before leaving in his bike. He met the man who said that he will provide workers and led him to his accomplices there. It is said that poison laced soft drink was given to Chandrashekar there.

As Chandrashekhar found the taste of the drink odd, he tried to throw it away but the men forced him to drink it. He tried to flee from there in his motor bike but fell near a bridge as he was feeling weak. People passing by that way informed his younger brother with the help of mobile phone found in his pocket.

His brother Nagaraj and others rushed to the spot and admitted Shetty into the Bailhongal government hospital for treatment. He died after five days without responding to treatment. His last rites were performed in his hometown on Sunday.

Why would anyone poison him has remained a mystery so far. Shetty was humble and soft-spoken and had no enemies. As he was seriously ill in the hospital, further details could not be obtained from him.

Belagavi superintendent of police, Sudheerkumar Reddy, collected details and has been guiding the investigations. Bailhongal police circle inspector, Manjunath, and deputy superintendent of police, Karunakar Shetty are investigating the case.