Victim Akshata Devadiga and accused Sunil
Udupi, June 20: In connection to the murder of Akshata Devadiga(17), who was found dead at Henberu in Ottinene near Byndoor on June 17th, the cops have arrested two youths.
Addressing a press meet here on Saturday June 20th, IGP Amrit Paul said the district police led by SP Annamalai have arrested two youths identified as Sunil (19) and Akshay (19), both residents of Yedthare.
The IGP said, Sunil and Akshay are cousins and are close friends too. Sunil is studying in an ITI centre in Byndoor, and Akshay had studied PUC and was trying to join the same ITI centre. Both the accused used to loiter in the deserted area where Akshata was found dead. They had observed Akshata walking daily to her college and return by the same way. On June 17th, they hid themselves among the bushes and were waiting for her. When they saw her walking on the road, they followed her and attacked her from behind, pulled her uniform shawl around her neck. As the shawl tightened around her neck, she struggled and was partially dead. The accused with the intention of sexually assaulting her, later forcibly lifted up her body and took her to an deserted area, where she expired, said the IGP.
He said, there were no indications of sexual assault in the post-mortem report and added that the case was complex.
Prime accused in the case is Sunil. Akshata had no previous contact with the duo accused. On Friday night, June 19th the arrests were made by SP Annamalai. Sunil was arrested from near Yojana Nagar in Byndoor.
He also said that a ‘school beat’ police team would be deployed in such deserted spots to ensure students safety. Initially the teams will be deployed in some of the isolated spots and later across Udupi district, he said.
The state DG-IGP has announced a reward of Rs 3 lakhs to the police team led by Annamalai for cracking the case.
