The man who had been arrested for the murder of a 21-year-old woman and three of her family members, including a 12-year-old child, in Udupi on November 11 told the police that he committed the crime out of “jealousy and animosity.” The Udupi police had arrested Praveen Arun Chougule, a 39-year-old cabin crew member of Air India on November 14. He was caught two days after he stabbed colleague Aynaz(21), her mother Haseena M (47), an older sister Afnan (23) and brother Aseem inside their home. The police were informed of the murder after a neighbour heard the screams for help.
According to reports, the accused person is a former police officer from Maharashtra who had switched to the airline industry and was working for Air India. Investigation also revealed that Praveen was married and had two children. He had reportedly developed an “intimate relationship” with Aynaz, his colleague, during their work-related travel. The Indian Express reported that Praveen was an “over-possessive person” and committed the murder out of jealousy and animosity.
Praveen was married to a Muslim woman and lived in Mangaluru. He was traced down by the police using the data on his phone like the location of the phone and call records. During the investigation, it was also discovered that Praveen’s phone had been switched off during the murder.
The police said that Praveen knew the location of Aynaz’s house as she had shared it with him earlier. After committing the murders, Praveen reportedly travelled to Belagavi to celebrate Diwali with his uncle.