Karthik Raj murder: Victim’s sister, her boyfriend, his younger brother arrested

[email protected] (CD Network)
April 29, 2017

Mangaluru, Apr 29: The murder case of engineering graduate Karthik Raj has finally been cracked as the Mangaluru CCB police arrested three persons including the victim’s own sister.

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The killer trio: Kavyashree, Gautham and Gauvrav

Karthik Raj, a resident of Sudarshan Nagar in Pajeer was murdered during his jogging routine on October 22, 2016 near Asaigoli under the limits of Konaje police station.

BJP and other saffron groups had not only staged several protests in connection with the murder but also had made apparent attempts to give communal tinge to the case. On January 1, local BJP M P Nalink Kumar Kateel had threatened to arson his district if the police failed to catch the accused.

However, after a prolonged investigation, the police on Friday arrested victim’s sister Kavyashree, her boyfriend Gautham (26) and his younger brother Gaurav (19), both residents of Pandith House. According to reliable sources, a senior police officer, who was part of the investigation in this sensational murder case in the beginning, is a relative of Karthik Raj and Kavyashree.

Kavyashree’s fight with husband and new love

It is learnt that Karthik Raj had spent huge money for the grand wedding of her sister Kavyashree with an NRI. Her husband is currently working in United Arab Emirates. However, Kavyashree decided to divorce him as they often used to fight with each other. Karthik Raj had tried his best to convince her sister not to separate from her husband but in vain.

Mangaluru city police commissioner M Chandra Sekhar, who announced the arrests on Saturday told media persons that Kavyashree and Gautham became friends after she got a job in Kanachur Hospital. The friendship led to love and this had irked Karthik Raj, who took her sister to task.

She hired boyfriend to attack her brother

Annoyed by the elder brother’s opposition to her new love, Kavyashree hired her boyfriend Gautham to attack him. However, during interrogation she reportedly told police that she had asked Gautham only to brutally attack Karthik Raj and not to kill him.

Gutham, who building a house at Kondana, seized the opportunity to extract money from Kavyashree. He had demanded Rs 5 lakh from Kavyashree to hire a person to attack her brother and she had promised to pay the same. However, instead of hiring others, Gautham sought the help of his own brother Gaurav to execute the plan. The duo followed Karthik Raj on a motorbike and attacked him with rod on the road. Initially it appeared to be a case of road accident. However, post-mortem report had confirmed that it was a case of murder.

Also Read: BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel threatens to set Dakshina Kannada district ablaze 

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
November 30,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 30: A 22-year-old college student succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru today, days after she was hit by a goods tempo while crossing a road in Padubidri.

The deceased has been identified as Preksha, a resident of Nadsalu Billitota in Padubidri. The fatal incident occurred as Preksha, who was returning home after completing her examination, attempted to cross the service road towards Mangaluru. She was struck by a goods tempo approaching from the Udupi side, causing her to fall and sustain a severe head injury.

Prompt action from local residents ensured she received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Despite medical efforts, she passed away while undergoing care.

Preksha was a student at Karavali College, Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that she belonged to a financially vulnerable family, having previously lost her father. She is survived by her mother and brother.

A case related to the accident has been registered at the Padubidri police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision. The incident highlights the growing concerns over road safety, particularly on busy service roads, and serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of traffic accidents.

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News Network
December 3,2025

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Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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