Udupi: The investigation into the murder of Mudarangadi-based businessman David D’Souza has brought the alleged underworld connection back into focus, with police examining claims that a person identifying himself as Hemanth Poojary was involved in the conspiracy.

Hemanth Poojary, who was once associated with underworld don Chhota Rajan, has resurfaced in connection with the case after police reportedly came across phone calls and audio clips allegedly featuring him. However, police are yet to establish whether the person heard in the recordings is actually Hemanth Poojary or someone impersonating him.

Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar has confirmed that officials of UPCL and the deceased businessman received calls from a person claiming to be Hemanth Poojary. The caller allegedly demanded that a contract at UPCL, Padubidri, be awarded to Kishore Rama Poojary.

Kishore Poojary, who is the brother of Hemanth Poojary, is among those accused in the case and is alleged to have provided financial support for the operation.

Contract dispute emerges as suspected motive

According to the investigation, Kishore Rama Poojary had sought to obtain a contract at UPCL, Padubidri. The contract was eventually awarded to David D’Souza.

Police suspect that the dispute over the contract could have played a role in the alleged conspiracy surrounding David’s killing.

The businessman was shot dead at Mudarangadi on August 7, sending shockwaves across Udupi district and attracting attention from law enforcement agencies beyond Karnataka.

During the investigation, police reportedly identified alleged links between the accused and a person claiming to be Hemanth Poojary.

The person allegedly communicated with officials at UPCL and David D’Souza and demanded that the contract be awarded to Kishore Poojary.

Police have also alleged that the same individual was in contact with other accused persons in the case, including Chirag Poojary, Sadananda Devadiga and Kishore Poojary, as well as alleged shooters Raju, Anmol Rastogi and Jiyaul Sheikh.

However, investigators are continuing to verify the exact identity and role of the person behind the calls.

Police verify audio clips

Audio clips purportedly featuring Hemanth Poojary have surfaced during the investigation.

Police have not yet confirmed their authenticity. Investigators are examining whether the voice in the recordings actually belongs to Hemanth Poojary or whether someone used his name and identity to intimidate or influence people connected with the contract.

SP Hariram Shankar has said the role of the person behind the calls appears to be significant in the investigation, while stressing that verification of the audio evidence is still under way.

Establishing the authenticity of the recordings could become an important part of the investigation, particularly in determining whether the alleged underworld figure himself was involved or whether his name was being used by another person.

Hemanth Poojary’s alleged underworld past

Hemanth Poojary was once associated with the Mumbai underworld and was believed to have been part of Chhota Rajan’s network.

His name gained national attention in March 2011 in connection with the killing of 75-year-old bakery owner Angara Poojary in Goregaon, Mumbai. The killing was reportedly linked to a dispute over hafta, or protection money.

Poojary subsequently disappeared from the criminal landscape, and reports later emerged that he had died or been killed in a foreign country in 2013.

For more than a decade, there was reportedly no confirmed information about his involvement in criminal activity.

His alleged reappearance through the Mudarangadi case has therefore attracted considerable attention, particularly because of the suspected connections between the accused and people associated with the Mumbai underworld.

Several Mumbai cases linked to Poojary

During his earlier years in the Mumbai underworld, Poojary’s name was reportedly linked to several cases involving attacks and killings.

These include the murder of hotelier Ratnakar Shetty, owner of Amantran Bar near Khar railway station, in December 2001.

His name was also reportedly associated with the killing of hotelier Jaya Shetty of Golden Crown Hotel at Nana Chowk in May 2001 and hotelier Mohammed Shafi near Milan subway in April 2001.

Other cases reportedly linked to him include the killings of bomb blast accused Akbar Khan in Dongri and florist Sunil Sohans in Khar.

The history has added to the significance of the latest allegations, although the authenticity of the current audio evidence and the precise role of Hemanth Poojary in the Mudarangadi case remain to be established.

From waiter to alleged gang shooter

Poojary reportedly grew up in the Nirmal Nagar slums of Khar and studied at Cardinal Gracias High School before dropping out after Class XII.

He later worked as a waiter in Ghatkopar, where he came into contact with members of Chhota Rajan’s gang.

He was subsequently alleged to have risen within the gang as a shooter.

Poojary first gained notoriety after the alleged killing of builder Shaukat Sarkar in Khar in November 1999.

He later became part of Rajan’s core group before reportedly breaking away around 2002 and forming his own gang.

His disappearance from the criminal scene for years had led to speculation about his whereabouts and fate.

Extortion calls add to concern

The alleged resurfacing of Poojary’s name has also raised concerns among businessmen along the Karnataka coast.

According to reports, several hoteliers in coastal Karnataka and Mumbai have received extortion calls allegedly made in his name.

The matter has reportedly attracted the attention of Mumbai Police as well, who have begun examining the claims.

However, the use of a known underworld figure’s name in threatening calls does not by itself establish that the person concerned is directly involved. Investigators will have to verify the callers’ identities and establish whether the calls are connected to the Mudarangadi murder.

Probe could reveal wider network

The investigation into David D’Souza’s murder is now focusing on the alleged financial, contractual and criminal links surrounding the case.

The alleged involvement of Kishore Poojary, the reported calls demanding that the UPCL contract be awarded to him, and the suspected links to other accused persons have given investigators several lines of inquiry.

If the audio clips are authenticated and the person behind the calls is conclusively identified as Hemanth Poojary, the development could significantly widen the scope of the investigation and establish a potential connection between the coastal crime network and elements associated with the Mumbai underworld.

For now, police are maintaining that the audio evidence requires verification and that the investigation is continuing.

The case has once again brought attention to concerns over organised crime, contract-related disputes and alleged intimidation in the coastal region. Further investigation and forensic verification of the audio material are expected to determine whether the underworld connection is genuine or whether Hemanth Poojary’s name was allegedly being used as a cover by others.