Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jul 20: A shocking incident of fratricide was reported from Chokkabettu in Katipalla village of Mangaluru taluk, where a 21-year-old man brutally murdered his younger brother with an axe following an argument over a mobile phone call.
The deceased has been identified as Mallikarjuna. The accused, Somanath (21), son of the late Parasappa, has been arrested by the police. The family, including their mother Shivaleela, originally hails from Tagyala village in Kushtagi taluk of Koppal district and had been residing in a rented house belonging to Rekha on Krishnamatta Road in Chokkabettu for the past five years, working as daily wage labourers.
According to the police, the incident occurred at around 11:00 pm on Sunday, July 19. Somanath reportedly objected to Mallikarjuna talking to a girl on his mobile phone. An argument ensued when Mallikarjuna responded rudely to his elder brother's objections.
Enraged by the confrontation, Somanath waited for his brother to fall asleep. Later in the night, he attacked Mallikarjuna's head and face with an axe kept in the house, killing him on the spot, before fleeing from the scene.
Following the incident, a case was registered at the Surathkal police station under Crime No. 89/2026 and section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The Surathkal police launched a manhunt and successfully apprehended Somanath, who was found hiding in the bushes near Krishnapura Math Road. During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime. The police stated that the accused will be produced before the court.