Businessman shot dead in Kundapur over financial dispute, accused on the run

UDUPI: A person was brutally shot dead with a pistol around 3.30 am on Fridayday in front of Holy Rosary Church in Kundapura taluk, Udupi district. The deceased is Ivan Richard Mascarenhas (45), a native of Barkur-Kachooru.

It is said that Ivan Richard was involved in some businesses. He had left his first wife, Selma Mascarenhas, and was living with his second wife from Barkur. On Friday morning, while he had come to Church Road in Kundapura with the woman in a car, an unidentified person allegedly opened fire on Ivan with a pistol.

Due to severe bleeding from the gunshot wound, Ivan died on the spot. After the incident, the accused fled the scene. Police said that the woman who was with him has identified the accused. The provocation for the murder was reportedly an argument which took place during a phone call over a financial dispute regarding fish business. The deceased’s second wife, who was with him at the time of the incident, is the key witness in the case.

According to initial information, a dispute had arisen over pending payment related to prawn and chatli fish business. Regarding this, Derek D’Souza, who was mediating, called Ivan on Thursday night and challenged him saying, “If you have guts, come to where I am”. He sent a location in Kundapura and told him to come there.

Accepting the challenge, Ivan left for Kundapura in a car with his second wife around 3.30 am on Friday. It is said that Derek was waiting near Holy Rosario Church in Kundapura city, in a red-black coloured car on the concrete road.

As soon as Ivan reached the spot, Derek fired a shot below the waist with a gun and fled in the car. Ivan died on the spot due to severe bleeding. The deceased’s friend Sathyraj has also provided information to the police about the incident.

Since the identity of the accused has been established, three special teams have been formed and a search operation has begun for his arrest. Ivan Mascarenhas, who was killed in the shooting, was an accused in the 2014 murder case of Udupi rowdy-sheeter Pitty Nagesh. Later, he was involved in Land Links and the fish business.

Udupi District Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar and other police officers visited the crime scene. The SOCO team also collected evidence and police have formed three special teams to nab the accused. A case has been registered at Kundapura Town police station police have intensified the investigation to trace the absconding accused. The police have expressed confidence that Derek will be arrested soon.