Shooting claims life of Udupi Congress leader

Udupi: A shooting at Padubidri in Udupi district on Friday afternoon ended the life of David D’Souza, known as a local Congress leader and contractor. He had held the post of president of the Mudarangadi Village Panchayat in the past and owned a bar, a public transport unit and contracting interests.

Sources state he was convicted earlier in the matter of Rev. Fr. Mahesh’s suicide; the priest had served as an assistant at a local church, and D’Souza had completed a jail term arising from that case.

Police sources state that two assailants reached the location in a vehicle and opened fire, inflicting severe bullet injuries on D’Souza. Bystanders together with local authorities rushed him at once toward a nearby hospital, yet he died on the way.

The police have confirmed that a multi-angle investigation is continuing to identify the motive behind the murder, examining both personal and business rivalries.