UDUPI: A man from Karnataka’s Udupi district was allegedly murdered in Sharjah in July, with his body later found cut into nine pieces inside his car, his brother said on Tuesday.The family has been unable to contact the man’s wife and son, while unusual messages sent from his phone after he went out of touch have raised questions about his disappearance.
Phone messages raise suspicion
Alwin, a native of Kundapur who was working in the UAE, last contacted his family around July 20, his elder brother said. Messages were subsequently sent from Alwin’s phone saying he was unwell and resting.The family grew suspicious because Alwin usually communicated through voice notes and did not generally type messages, his brother said.“When we questioned him and asked him to make a call, there was no response after that,” he said.The family then contacted one of Alwin’s classmates in Sharjah, who went to the apartment provided by his company. A watchman allegedly told the classmate that Alwin had left for India.The company’s human resources department also initially told the family that he had travelled to India.But after relatives said he had not arrived, his passport records were checked and he was reportedly found to still be in the UAE. A missing-person complaint was subsequently filed in Sharjah.
Body found in abandoned car near Oman route
According to Alwin’s brother, the body was found on August 12 inside the boot of his Toyota car, which had been abandoned on a road leading towards Oman.The family alleged that Alwin had been stabbed in the chest and his body cut into nine pieces before being packed into two bags.The family has received the death certificate but is yet to obtain a copy of the FIR, his brother said.
Alwin (L) and his brother (R)
Wife, son cannot be contacted
Alwin had been married to Tina Kundar for around 20 years. The couple’s son is studying in Class 10 in Dubai, while Tina was working as a schoolteacher there, according to the family.Relatives said they have been unable to contact Tina and their son. They also claimed that CCTV footage from the apartment showed two men and a woman moving luggage.However, the family said it did not have definitive information on whether Tina had been questioned by UAE police.“We cannot say anything conclusively without the FIR copy. But reports indicate that they may have left for India around July 26 or 27,” Alwin’s brother said.The family has approached Tina’s native place along with her mother and is preparing to file complaints regarding the disappearance of Tina and her son.A complaint is also being lodged at Udupi Town police station, and the family has met the Udupi Superintendent of Police.Alwin’s brother said the family was seeking justice and demanded strict punishment for those responsible. He added that Alwin had not previously spoken of any marital or personal problems and had appeared normal when he visited his family in December.
Udupi police await confirmation from UAE
Udupi district police said reports claiming that a person from the district had been murdered in Sharjah were being circulated on local and social media platforms.However, police said they had not received official information or confirmation from Sharjah Police or the Indian Embassy or Consulate in the UAE regarding the incident.They said any information received would be verified before being shared with the media.
