Madikeri: Somwarpet Police have yesterday arrested one person in connection with the double murder in Somwarpet which took place on Tuesday. 45-year-old Kavitha, a widow, and her daughter identified as 17-year-old Jagashri were found dead at their farm in Doddamalthe village on Tuesday. The arrested person has been identified as Dileep, who owns a property adjacent to the estate owned by Kavitha.

Kavitha and Jagashri were found murdered at their family-owned coffee estate at Doddamalthe village. According to the Police, the duo was working in their plantation when they were attacked by Dileep.

On Tuesday, Kavitha along with her daughter Jagashri, who was studying in second PUC in St. Philomena’s College in Hassan, visited her estate. When the duo did not return home in the evening, Kavitha’s son Mega Madan Raj, who is studying in eighth standard at Morarji Desai Residential School in Virajpet, contacted his mother over her cell phone and found it was switched off.

Eventually, Mega Madan Raj informed his neighbours, who coordinated a search effort of the coffee estate, it was only later that the locals discovered the bodies in the estate and informed the Police. Based on the marks on the bodies, the officials from the jurisdictional Somwarpet Police Station had said that both the victims were attacked repeatedly with a sharp-edged weapon.

Police said that Dileep was constructing a house and the road to the house was located in the land belonging to Kavitha and Kavitha had objected to the entry of Dileep to his property through her estate. Following the dispute, a case was registered by both the parties in the Police Station seven years ago. A Court case was also filed. Both the parties engaged in rift often, according to the residents of the local villages.

Dileep used the road passing through the farm, to transport construction materials. When Kavitha, the owner of the land, locked the gates, the accused would break the locks and this would aggravate the differences between them, the Police said.

After the murder came to light, the Police took Dileep and his two family members into custody where Dileep is said to have confessed of killing Kavitha and Jagashri with a sharp-edged weapon. The other two persons were released as they had no role to play in the crime while Dileep was formally arrested. He was produced before a Court today that sent him to judicial custody.  

It was barely a few weeks ago that Jagashri had come home for the summer holidays. Mega Madan Raj too had come home for summer holidays. Their father Veeraraju had committed suicide eight years ago.