Karnataka Police Unravel Complex Murder Case of Pune Businessman
In September 2024, a brutal murder in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district shocked the state. The victim was Vinayak Naik, a 58-year-old successful electrical appliances businessman from Pune. The Karnataka Police, already stretched due to landslide relief work, cracked the case within days. They uncovered a tangled web of extramarital affairs that led to the murder and a subsequent suicide.
The Gruesome Morning Attack
The sun had barely risen over Hankon village on September 22, 2024. This quiet coastal settlement lies 15 kilometers from Karwar in Uttara Kannada district. Inside a newly constructed house, Vrashali Vinayak Naik, aged 50, stood screaming for help. She was covered in blood, standing near her husband's hacked body.
Vinayak Naik lay dead in a pool of blood. The attack happened swiftly around 5:15 am. The couple was preparing to leave for Pune after attending a religious ceremony. Some men broke into their house at that moment.
Vrashali Naik suffered severe injuries but survived. Her screams apparently scared off the attackers. She was rushed to a hospital in Karwar, where she remained in shock and unable to speak initially.
Family Discovers the Tragedy
Vinayak Naik's sister, Shrutika Naik, received a call from Vrashali at 5:45 am that fateful day. Vrashali informed her that both she and Vinayak had been brutally attacked. Shrutika immediately called her elder brother Madhav Kashinath Naik. They rushed to the house together.
Upon arrival, they found Vinayak Naik's lifeless body. When police examined the site, they noticed something crucial. All valuables in the house remained intact. This indicated robbery was not the motive.
S V Girish, Deputy Superintendent of Police for Karwar sub-division, recalled receiving the call around 6:30 am while sleeping. He headed straight to the murder site. The then SP of Uttara Kannada, M Narayana, also reached the spot promptly.
Initial Investigation Challenges
Police quickly determined there was no robbery or dacoity involved. The people who entered the house had one clear purpose: to kill Vinayak Naik. Investigators faced other challenges too.
Although Vinayak was born in the region, he had settled in Pune long ago. He maintained few connections in his native village. His annual visits were limited to religious events. This made it clear locals had no reason to kill him.
Police registered a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These included murder, causing death, criminal trespass, and criminal act with common intention.
The First Breakthrough: CCTV Footage
With Vrashali Naik unable to provide information initially, police turned to technology. They obtained CCTV footage showing a Maruti Swift car arriving at the Naik house. The same vehicle was seen speeding away just after the attack.
Upon checking, police discovered the vehicle had a fake license plate. This became their first solid lead.
M Narayana, now DCP of Electronic City in Bengaluru, noted additional challenges. Houses next to Vinayak's property had no occupants. Vrashali was the only eyewitness but remained in shock. The couple's son lived in the United States, further complicating matters.
Two-Pronged Investigation Approach
S V Girish explained the investigation initially proceeded in two directions simultaneously. One team questioned family members and friends of Vinayak Naik. They explored possible threats from the underworld or business rivalries in Pune.
Another team focused on tracking the Maruti Swift car through CCTV cameras. This effort yielded crucial information.
The police team examining footage noticed something interesting. The occupants who came in the Maruti Swift car headed toward Goa after killing Vinayak Naik. Footage from two CCTV cameras installed two kilometers apart revealed something more.
The vehicle's number plate changed within that short stretch. Police checked ownership of the new number plate. They found the vehicle belonged to Praveen Sudheer from Goa.
Uncovering the Personal Angle
Further investigation revealed Sudheer had sold the car to Ashok Rane, who also lived in Goa. As police began tracking Ashok Rane, their intelligence team in Hankon village gathered interesting information.
They zeroed in on a possible suspect: Guruprasad Rane, a businessman running a liquor distillery in Goa. Police discovered Guruprasad Rane was a distant relative of Vinayak Naik. The two men had fought in the past.
The reason became clear. Guruprasad Rane was reportedly having an extramarital affair with Vrashali Naik. Moreover, Vinayak Naik allegedly had an affair with Guruprasad Rane's wife. Relatives on both sides knew about this situation but remained silent, prolonging the investigation.
Connecting the Dots
At this point, Guruprasad Rane became the primary subject of interest for police. They began searching for him intensively.
Meanwhile, police managed to contact Ashok Rane. He confirmed the Swift car belonged to him but revealed crucial information. Guruprasad Rane had borrowed the car just one day before the murder.
Both investigation angles now pointed to one person: Guruprasad Rane.
The Plot Unfolds
A police team in Goa discovered Guruprasad Rane was not at his residence. However, they apprehended Lakshya Jyothinath, aged 31. Lakshya worked as an assistant to Guruprasad Rane and was considered "more than family" to him.
Police had footage from a toll plaza CCTV camera showing Lakshya's face clearly. They believed he was involved in the killing and began questioning him. Lakshya eventually confessed to his role.
He revealed what triggered the murder. On September 19, Guruprasad Rane's wife arrived in Hankon village. She confronted Vinayak Naik's family, picking a public fight. Enraged and humiliated, Vinayak Naik called Guruprasad Rane. He abused him over the phone for sending his wife to create a scene in his ancestral village. Naik warned Rane to "maintain distance."
Lakshya, a loyalist to Guruprasad, volunteered to kill Naik. Being a native of Assam, he then hired two men from Bihar working in Goa: Ajmal (24) and Masoom (23). Together, they executed the plan to kill Naik.
The Manhunt and Suicide
As the hunt for Guruprasad Rane intensified, police found his car parked near the Mandovi River in Goa. S V Girish explained their suspicions. They believed Guruprasad Rane might have died by suicide.
Within two days, they retrieved his body from the river. It appeared Guruprasad Rane initially assumed police would not suspect him. Once he came under their radar, fearing arrest, he likely committed suicide.
Final Arrests and Investigation Details
With Lakshya caught and Guruprasad Rane dead, Uttara Kannada police sought help from the Delhi crime branch. They needed to apprehend the remaining accused: Ajmal and Masoom.
Girish explained the number plate switching strategy. The accused crossed the Goa border with a genuine number plate. A few kilometers from Naik's house, they changed to a fake plate. After the murder, they traveled about ten kilometers before switching back to the genuine registration plate.
Case Resolution and Aftermath
On September 26, 2024, Chitakula police station in Uttara Kannada district announced the arrest of the accused. Police later filed a chargesheet against Ajmal, Lakshya Jyothinath, and Masoom. The case currently awaits trial.
Meanwhile, Vrashali Naik has recovered from her injuries. She now lives with her son, trying to rebuild her life after the traumatic events.
The Karnataka Police demonstrated remarkable efficiency in solving this complex case. Despite being stretched thin due to natural disaster relief work, they unraveled a murder motivated by personal relationships rather than criminal syndicates as initially suspected.
