In a shocking incident, a 46-year-old man was brutally stabbed by four people at a recreation club in the 7th Heaven building in Manipal on Sunday. The victim was identified as Guruprasad Bhat, the owner and manager of the facility.
It is believed that around 1.30 pm, four individuals came in a car with machetes and other weapons and stabbed the man multiple times, before escaping from the crime scene.
“According to CCTV footage, it appears that three members tried to stop the attackers from stabbing Guruprasad but they were unsuccessful,” said a police official from the Manipal Police Station.
Guruprasad was seriously injured in the attack and rushed to the Kasturba Hospital in Manipal where he was declared dead on arrival.
Police officials confirmed that they have arrested four persons in connection with the case. The arrested have been identified as Sujith Pinto, Ranjith Pinto, Pradeep Poojary and Rajesh Poojary. Three of the accused were arrested near Kunluru Bridge in Kundapur, around 40 km from Manipal.
The club was shut down for the day as Manipal police rushed to the spot and examined the crime scene, and the areas surrounding the club were deserted by nightfall. The Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi too visited the spot near the Country Inn Hotel at End Point.
While the motive for the murder is yet to be proven, police suspect it had to do with one of Guruprasad’s business dealings. Guruprasad is a distant relative of Raghupati Bhat, MLA of Udupi.
“We cannot disclose any further details or reports of the evidence till the case is fully investigated. The arrested persons will be produced in court shortly,” said a police official from the Manipal Police Station.
Guruprasad, however, is not connected to Remix Lounge, a popular bar in Manipal, in spite of several news reports claiming that he owned the establishment.
The story was first published in The Manipal Journal. It has been republished with permission.