On Camera, Ex-Panchayat Chief Shot Dead At Point-Blank Range In Karnataka

A former Gram Panchayat president and contractor was shot dead from point-blank range by an unknown attacker in Karnataka's Udupi district on Friday. The crime was caught on CCTV cameras.

The incident took place in front of St. Francis Xavier Church in Udupi's Pilar village. According to preliminary information, two men arrived on a motorcycle, and one of them shot D'Souza before fleeing the spot. In the CCTV footage that has emerged, the attacker can be seen walking slowly towards D'Souza. As D'Souza opens the door of his car, the man comes from behind, points the gun towards D'Souza's head and shoots him.

D'Souza sustained serious injuries in the attack. Locals rushed him to a hospital, but he died due to his injuries on the way.

Based on the CCTV footage, the Udupi police tracked down the attackers around 1:45 am.

According to police, the suspects allegedly attempted to open fire at the police team during the operation. In retaliation, Inspector Tejaswi reportedly fired at the leg of one of the suspects, identified as Raj, a sharpshooter from Uttar Pradesh. He was subsequently arrested and shifted to Manipal Hospital for treatment.

The other two suspects managed to flee the spot, and a search operation is underway to trace them.

The exact motive behind the shooting is yet to be ascertained.