Gadag police nab 7 killers, mastermind for murder of civic body vice-prez’s son, 3 relatives

GADAG: The police have cracked the case of the murder of four people, including three members of one family, at the house of Gadag-Betageri city municipal council vice-president Sunanda Bakale with the arrest of eight people, including seven hired killers. The mastermind is Vinayak Prakash Bakale (31), the son of Sunanda’s husband Prakash Bakale from his first wife.

Vinayak Bakale was present in the house of Prakash and Sunanda Bakale on the night of the murders.

According to the police, the killing was carried out over property and domestic disputes. Inspector General of Police Vikash Kumar Vikas, addressing a press conference at the SP’s office here on Monday, said Vinayak Bakale had hired the killers for Rs 65 lakh and had paid Rs 2 lakh as advance. He was also present at the house of Sunanda and Prakash on the day of the brutal murders and had himself informed the police and had pretended to be innocent. The intended target was Sunanda Bakale, the IGP said.

The police have arrested Vinayak Bakale (31), a resident of Suryanagar, Fairoz (29), a resident of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar and Jisha (24), a resident of Hudco Colony, all in Gadag, Sahil Ashpak Khazi (19), Sohail Ashpak Khazi (19), Sultan Jilani Shek (23), Mahesh Jagannath Salunke (21) and Waheed Liyaqat Bepari (21), all from Miraj in Maharashtra.

Inspector General of Police (Northern range) Vikash Kumar Vikas addressing media persons at the SP’s office on Monday.

Four members of a family, including Karthik Bakale, the son of Sunanda and Prakash Bakale, were murdered in their house at Dasara Oni in Gadag on the intervening night of April 18 and 19. While one knife was found in a drain in front of the house, three other weapons were found behind the house.

A knife was found in a drain in front of the house.

The other deceased are Parashuram Hadimani (58), his wife Lakshmi (50) and daughter Akanksha (17). Parashuram and Karthik were sleeping in a bedroom on the ground while Lakshmi and Akanksha were in a room on the floor of the house when they were attacked. Karthik’s parents were in another room on the ground which was bolted from inside.

Footage from CCTV showed four men emerging from Sunanda Bakale’s house after the murders.

Parashuram Hadimani and his family were residents of Bhagyanagar in Koppal and he was into the hotel business. The family had even celebrated Akanksha’s birthday last Thursday night in a grand manner. The family had arrived in Gadag from Koppal last Wednesday and was to return on Friday.