In a significant development, Mangaluru police have invoked the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA), 2000 against two individuals linked to a series of violent incidents arising from a protracted land dispute in Kaup taluk. The accused are identified as Kali Yogish and Yogish Acharya.
Stringent Law Applied After Series of Offences
Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar stated that Section 3 of the KCOCA was applied following a thorough assessment of the accused's alleged involvement in multiple offences over a considerable period. This move signals the police's serious approach to what they perceive as organised criminal activity stemming from the dispute.
As per the latest update, Yogish Acharya has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody by a special KCOCA court in Mysuru. In contrast, his associate, Kali Yogish, remains absconding and is suspected to have fled abroad, according to police sources.
Chronology of a Violent Dispute
The roots of this case trace back to December 2022. At that time, Kaup police registered a case against Kali Yogish, Yogish Acharya, and their associates for allegedly assaulting a man named Chandrashekar and others following the land dispute.
The situation took a deadly turn in March 2023 with the murder of Sharath Shetty. Police investigations indicated that Shetty was killed because he did not support Yogish Acharya and had instead assisted Chandrashekar. A murder case was filed at the Kaup police station, with Chandrashekar named as a key witness in both the assault and the murder cases.
Witness Intimidation Leads to KCOCA
The case escalated further recently. On October 20, 2024, Chandrashekar received a direct threat around 8:15 PM. He was warned against deposing as a witness against Yogish Acharya and others. The threat allegedly demanded he settle a financial dispute with Yogish Acharya and contained a death threat for non-compliance.
Based on Chandrashekar's complaint, a new case was registered under Sections 351(2), 351(3), and 351(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation has been supervised by ASP of Karkala Subdivision, Harsha Priyamvada.
Yogish Acharya, a 54-year-old resident of Thaudabettu in Kote village, Kaup taluk, was initially arrested on October 24 and produced before a court in Udupi, where he managed to secure bail with surety. However, in a decisive follow-up, police invoked the KCOCA provisions, arrested him again, and produced him before the special KCOCA court in Mysuru, which subsequently sent him to judicial custody.
The application of the KCOCA, a law designed to combat organised crime syndicates, underscores the severity with which authorities are viewing the prolonged and violent feud over land in Kaup.
