A 40-year-old painter, Vinay Devadiga, was brutally murdered inside his Udupi home late Tuesday night in what police believe was a revenge attack. According to Udupi SP Hariram Shankar, Vinay’s wife, Soumya Shri, stated that her husband returned home around 6:30 pm after leaving in the morning. By 10 pm, the family — including their daughter and Vinay’s mother — had retired to separate rooms.
At about 11:15 pm, Soumya heard the gate creak open and loud knocks on the door. Upon opening it, she saw three men — Akshendra, Ajith, and an unidentified individual — enter, armed with sharp weapons. Despite her protests, they searched for Vinay and found him in a room opposite the hall. The intruders allegedly tried to seize his phone before Ajith restrained him, Akshendra struck his head with a machete, and the third man stabbed him. Vinay sustained deep wounds to his head and arms, dying instantly. The attackers fled on a scooter minutes later.
Police registered a case at Udupi Town station. By Wednesday, three suspects — Akshendra alias Akshay (34), Ajith (28), and Pradeep Acharya (29) — had surrendered and been arrested. Pradeep was previously accused in a 2016 Brahmavar murder case. Investigators say the killing was retaliation for Vinay allegedly circulating a video mocking Akshendra. Notably, Vinay himself was the prime accused in a 2020 Malpe murder case and was out on bail awaiting trial.