Nearly three weeks after “whistleblower” Mahan-tesh, a Karnataka administrative service officer, was killed in the city, sparking national outrage, the police announced the arrest of four men on Thursday including an accountant in a cooperative society, whom police said had ordered the hit.
The police said the accountant had conspired with three of his associates to attack the 48-year old officer, as he feared alleged misappropriation of funds by him in the Sahakarnagar Cooperat-ive Society would be exposed.
The four nabbed on Wednesday by the City Crime Branch (CCB) were identified as Kiran Kumar, the accountant, Ayyappa (24), Murali (29), Shiva (28) of Samangira-mnagar, police commissioner Jyothi Prakash Mirji told reporters here.
Kiran Kumar has confessed to police that he misappropriated `20-25 lakh of the co-operative society’s money.
Mr Mirji said, “The three accused followed Mr Mahantesh’s Maruti 800 and first attempted to attack him near Mekhri Circle, and then banged into Mahantesh’s car near Atria hotel. When he stepped out to check the damage, they attacked him with wickets.” The police, initially said to have suspected a case of road rage and links to call girls, but were unable to question Mr Mahantesh, who remained in a coma until he succumbed to his injuries on May 20.