In a disturbing turn of events, a minor traffic dispute spiraled into a brutal act of vengeance, leading to the murder of Mohammed Shareef (59), an autorickshaw driver from Mangaluru. His stabbed body was discovered on April 10 in an open well at Kunjathur Paduvu, Manjeshwar.
Kasaragod police have arrested Abhishek Shetty, a former school bus driver and resident of Surathkal. According to Additional SP V Balakrishnan Nair, Shetty acted alone, contrary to early suspicions of group involvement.
The conflict began months earlier when Shetty’s bus clashed with Shareef’s autorickshaw at a Mangaluru junction. Shetty, already battling drug abuse, felt humiliated and claimed that following this altercation, city autorickshaws began blocking his school bus deliberately — something he blamed Shareef and the auto union for. He also alleged Shareef had complained to his school, resulting in his termination and straining his personal life.
Fuelled by this grudge, Shetty, on April 9, hired Shareef’s autorickshaw around midnight near Baikampady. He misled Shareef to an isolated area in Manjeshwar and stabbed him from behind, dumping his body in a secluded, parapet-less well. Shetty changed his appearance, possibly preventing Shareef from recognising him.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) cracked the case using footage from 208 CCTV cameras and local intelligence. With support from Mangaluru police and cyber teams, Shetty was nabbed within three days. The murder weapon remains missing, and investigations continue to verify Shetty’s version.
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