Bhatkal: The suspicious death of a 35-year-old civil engineer in Bhatkal has raised concerns about a possible murder. The incident occurred on Saturday night around 9:30 PM.
The deceased has been identified as Fahad Motia, son of Farooq Motia.
According to reports, Fahad left his in-laws' house near Abu Ubaidah Masjid on Goodluck Road around 9 PM, riding a bike. Within 10-15 minutes, his body was found lying a few steps away, while his bike was discovered approximately 30 steps ahead, neatly parked near a slope at the Hurlisal junction.
Eyewitnesses noticed the man lying in the dark and immediately moved him under a nearby streetlight to examine him. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. Upon receiving the news, local leaders, including Jali Pattan Panchayat Councilor Misbahul Haq, arrived at the scene and attempted to revive Fahad by sprinkling water on him. However, he remained unresponsive. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The news of Fahad's death spread quickly, attracting a large crowd outside the hospital. While some speculated that he might have suffered a cardiac arrest, others noted faint marks on his neck, raising suspicions of foul play. Doctors also highlighted these marks as a cause for concern.
Close friends and family revealed that Fahad had been under stress due to financial disputes and had been attacked around 15 days ago over the same issues. They believe he might have been strangled or suffocated to death using fabric.
Police have launched an investigation, inspecting the body and questioning eyewitnesses. Officers are also trying to determine how the bike was parked 30 steps away from where the body was found. They are exploring possibilities, including whether the killers parked the bike after the alleged murder or if Fahad himself parked it, sensing danger, before collapsing a short distance away. Eyewitnesses confirmed that the bike's key was found in Fahad’s pocket.
The body was initially shifted to a private hospital before being transferred to the Bhatkal Government Hospital. Bhatkal DySP Mahesh stated that the body would be sent to Manipal Hospital for a postmortem and forensic analysis to ascertain the cause of death. He assured that all aspects, including previous threats and attacks on Fahad, would be thoroughly investigated.
Bhatkal Rural Police Inspector Chandan Gopal, Town PSI Naveen, forensic expert Ramesh, and other police officials visited both the hospital and the incident site to gather evidence and advance the investigation.
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