Udupi, Sept 23: A non-resident Indian from Kundapur in Udupi district was allegedly murdered in Sharjah in July, with the shocking case coming to light after his body was reportedly found cut into nine pieces, his brother said.

The deceased, Alwin Prakash Kunder, had been working at Sharjah airport for the past 14 years. He had visited his hometown in December last year before returning to the UAE.

His brother Anil Prashanth Kunder said he met Udupi Superintendent of Police on Monday and submitted a representation seeking action in connection with the death. Police have not yet issued an official statement and are awaiting communication from authorities in Sharjah.

Alwin’s wife, Tina Kunder, originally from Udyavara in Udupi, works as a schoolteacher in Sharjah, while their son is studying in Class 10 there, Anil said. There is, however, no official clarity yet on their whereabouts.

Mysterious message raises alarm

Anil said he called his brother on July 20, but Alwin did not answer. Instead, he received a message saying that Alwin was fine.

According to Anil, the message was unusual because his brother normally did not communicate with him in that manner. When repeated calls went unanswered a week later, Anil became suspicious and contacted Alwin’s classmate Manohar, who was in Sharjah, asking him to check on him.

Manohar reportedly visited the company-provided accommodation where Alwin lived with his family. The building watchman allegedly told him that Alwin had gone to India.

Anil said the company’s HR department also initially informed them that Alwin had returned to India.

Passport records expose discrepancy

Anil said he contacted the company again the following day and informed them that Alwin had not returned to India, requesting them to verify his whereabouts.

The company subsequently checked his passport records and found that he was still in Sharjah. A missing-person complaint was then filed, he said.

During the investigation, Alwin’s body was reportedly discovered inside a car parked on a road leading towards Oman. According to Anil, the body had allegedly been dismembered into nine pieces and packed in two bags.

The family received the post-mortem report only on Monday, following which they approached the police in Udupi, Anil said.

Murder motive remains unclear

The circumstances surrounding the alleged murder, including the motive and the identity of those responsible, remain unclear.

Anil claimed that he had seen CCTV footage showing two men and a woman leaving the building. However, the identity or role of the individuals seen in the footage has not been established.

“To stab someone in the chest and chop a body into nine pieces requires experienced culprits,” Anil said.

He also raised questions about the whereabouts of Alwin’s wife and son.

“If his wife came to India, she must know what happened to her husband. The son might also know,” he said, while acknowledging that there was no direct proof yet that his wife had arrived in India.

Anil said the family was unable to access passport-related information without an official FIR in India.

The case remains under investigation, and further communication from Sharjah authorities is awaited to establish the sequence of events and determine who was responsible for Alwin’s death.