Murder of Udupi family members: Police yet to trace assailant; victims laid to rest

Udupi police investigate murder of woman & 3 children; suspect involvement of person known to family; 5 teams formed; CCTV footages, call records being verified; autorickshaw driver saw masked person near house; bodies handed over to husband; last rites performed.

The Udupi police are yet to get a breakthrough in the alleged murder of a woman and her three children in Tripthi Nagar of Nejar, near Malpe, in Udupi city on Sunday morning (November 12).

An unidentified assailant entered their house and allegedly hacked Haseena, 46, and her children Afnan, 23, Agnaz, 21, and Asim,12 to death. Haseena’s mother-in-law Hajira, 70, who was found critically injured in the bathroom of the house, is undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Haseena’s husband Mohammed Noor works abroad. His wife Haseena was staying with her three children and mother-in-law Hajira in Tripthi Nagar. Mr. Noor’s another son Asad works in Bengaluru. Both (Mr. Noor and Mr. Asad) returned to Udupi on Sunday evening.

Udupi Superintendent of Police K. Arun said five teams have been formed to crack the alleged murder and they are investigating from all angles. ‘‘Teams are enquiring relatives, friends, and acquaintances of the family. Technical teams are verifying CCTV footages,” he said.

The police suspect the involvement of a person, who is known to the family. The police teams are going through the call dialing records of Haseena and other persons. They are verifying footage of CCTVs of areas around the house.

Meanwhile, Shyam, an autorickshaw driver, told reporters that a person boarded his autorickshaw at Santhekatte and got down in front of the house of the deceased around 9 a.m. on Sunday. The same person, who was wearing a mask, returned to Santekatte 15 minutes later and went away in another autorickshaw. Later, the autorickshaw driver learnt about the murder.

Bodies of Haseena and her three children were handed over, following autopsy, to Haseena’s husband Mr. Noor, who returned to Udupi on Sunday evening. Mr. Noor and his other son Asad, and a large number of Noor’s family members and friends took part in the last rites performed near Jamia Masjid in Kodi Bengre. All four bodies were buried near the Majid around 3 p.m. Former Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, B.A. Mohiuddin Bava, former Mangaluru City North MLA; and senior Congress leader M.A. Gafoor participated in last rites rituals