Udupi: Police Friday arrested another accused in the Aug 7 murder of entrepreneur David D’Souza, owner of Prince Enterprises, who was shot dead at Mudarangadi.The arrested accused is Lokesh Teja Kothari, 42, a resident of Balihitlu in Yadtare village of Byndoor taluk. According to police, Kothari previously worked in Mumbai, where he became acquainted and friends with co-accused Kishore Rama Poojary.Police said Kothari was involved in the crime by providing a motorcycle to the accused directly involved in the murder, Anmol Rastogi and Raju. He is also accused of entering into a criminal conspiracy with others to commit the murder.The Karkala-Padubidri police, who were on special duty to trace the accused, took Kothari into custody at Yadtare in Byndoor and produced him before the investigating officer. The mobile phones used in the crime and the machine used to erase the motorcycle’s engine and chassis numbers were seized from him, SP Hariram Shankar said.A case has been registered at Shirva police station and is under investigation in connection with the murder of D’Souza, who was shot in the head with a pistol by a pillion rider among the accused who arrived on a motorcycle at St Xavier’s Church Complex in Mudarangadi, Kapu taluk.The accused directly involved in the crime, Anmol Rastogi and Jiyahul Wajul Sheikh alias Deepak, have already been arrested and produced before the court.Mohammed Irshad, Chirag Poojary, Sadananda Devadiga and Kishore Rama Poojary, who allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with other accused to commit the crime and provided financial backing, have also been arrested and produced before the court.Raju, the first accused in the case, has been taken into custody and is being investigated in connection with an attempted murder of a govt employee registered at Byndoor police station, the SP said.
