Karnataka Man Murdered In Sharjah In July, Body In 9 Parts Found In A Car

A man from Kundapur in Karnataka's Udupi district was allegedly murdered in Sharjah in July, with the shocking incident coming to light after his body was found cut into nine parts, his brother said on Tuesday.

There was no official information yet, nor any clarity about his wife and son, who are missing since the murder as per some reports. The man, Alwin Prakash Kunder, had been working at the Sharjah airport for the past 14 years. He had visited his hometown in December last year before returning to Sharjah. His wife, Tina Kunder, who is originally from Udyavara in Udupi, works as a schoolteacher in Sharjah, and their son is currently studying in Class 10 there, said Alwin Prakash's brother Anil Prashanth Kunder.

Anil met the Udupi Superintendent of Police on Monday and submitted a representation seeking action in connection with the death. Police were yet to issue a statement but were awaiting official communication from Sharjah, UAE. 

A Mystery Message

Anil said he had called Alwin Prakash on July 20, but he did not answer. Instead, Anil got a message saying that he was fine. Anil said this was unusual as his brother never communicated with him in that manner. When he called again a week later, there was still no response. Suspecting something amiss, Anil contacted Alwin Prakash's classmate Manohar, who was in Sharjah, and asked him to check on him.

Manohar reportedly went to the flat provided to the family by the company that employed him. The watchman told him that Prakash had gone to India, Anil said. He added that they then contacted the company's HR department, which also initially told him that Alwin Prakash had returned to India.

Passport Check Gives Clue

Anil said he called the company again the following day and told them that Alwin Prakash had not returned to India and requested them to verify his whereabouts. The company subsequently checked his passport records and found that he was still in Sharjah. A missing-person complaint was then filed.

During the investigation, Alwin Prakash's body was reportedly found inside a car parked along the route towards Oman, Anil said. The body had allegedly been cut into nine parts and packed in two bags.

Anil said the family received the post-mortem report only on Monday, after which they went to the local police in Udupi.

The circumstances surrounding the murder and the motive behind the killing are yet to be established. Further investigation by the Sharjah authorities is expected to establish the sequence of events and identify those responsible.

Where Is His Family?

"To stab someone in the chest and chop a body into nine pieces requires experienced culprits," Anil said.

He said he'd seen CCTV footage showing two men and a woman leaving the building.

"If his wife came to India, she must know what happened to her husband. The son might also know," Anil said. "There is no direct proof yet that she arrived in India. Without an official FIR here, we cannot access the passport details."