Murder of four family members in Udupi: Police arrest suspect from Belagavi

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 14, 2023: In a major breakthrough, the Udupi police have successfully apprehended the individual responsible for the brutal murder of four individuals, according to reliable sources.

The suspect was tracked down in Belagavi through the use of CCTV footage and law enforcement promptly took him into custody, as confirmed by police sources.

 

Arrested identified as Praveen Chougal (35), allegedly killed four members of family in just 10 minutes. The accused had been evading the police for the past two days and was reportedly planning to flee to Maharashtra or Andhra Pradesh via Belagavi this afternoon.

According to the police, Praveen, originally from Sangli in Maharashtra, was employed as a security guard at Mangalore airport. The Udupi deputy SP-led team tracked and arrested him in Belagavi, where he had sought refuge at a relative’s house. The arrest was facilitated through mobile tower location tracking, the officer added.

When asked about the arrest, Udupi superintendent of police Arun Kumar didn’t confirm it. He, however, said, “We are verifying multiple suspects. We are likely to get a clear picture tomorrow (Wednesday).”

Afnan and her sister Aynaz had returned home from Mangaluru to spend the holiday weekend with their mother and relatives in Udupi.

“We are trying to ascertain who was the primary target since the girls came home only the previous night and the killer arrived in the morning,” a police source said ahead of the arrest.

The tragic incident occurred at Tripthi Layout in the jurisdiction of the Malpe police station at around 8:30 am on Sunday. The assailant entered their residence and allegedly brutally attacked Haseena, 46, and her children Afnan, 23, Agnaz, 21, and Asim,12, resulting in their untimely deaths. Haseena’s mother-in-law Hajira, 70, who was discovered critically injured in the bathroom of the house, is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital.