Friends stab ‘birthday boy’ multiple times with broken beer bottles

Mysuru/Mysore: Night-long binge drinking to celebrate birthday by a group of friends and the subsequent arguments over old rivalry resulted in grisly murder where the ‘birthday boy’ was stabbed multiple times by his friends with broken beer bottles. The birthday party that began at the foot of Chamundi Hill last evening ended in murder at a service apartment at Kuvempunagar in the wee hours of today, Police said. 

The deceased has been identified as 40-year-old Anand alias Vadda Anand, a resident of Janatanagar. Anand is a realtor, financier and a small-time politician. He was also a money-lender. Saraswathipuram Police had opened a rowdy-sheet against him as Anand was an accused in a murder case 13 years ago and has also served a jail term.  

Police said Anand was an accused in the murder case where one person was killed over a financial dispute in Saraswathipuram Police limits. 

Anand’s blood stained body was found in the service apartment and the Police found that he was stabbed multiple times with broken beer bottles. The incident is suspected to have occurred between 3 am and 4 am. 

According to preliminary investigation conducted by the Police, to celebrate his 40th birthday on Mar. 5 (yesterday), Anand had organised a party at a function hall at the foot of Chamundi Hill at 7 pm where hundreds of people had dinner along with liquor and non-vegetarian food. 

The party continued till 11 pm and later Anand called up the owner of the service apartment on Lalithadri Road near Lava Kusha Park in Kuvempunagar and booked a room on the second floor of the apartment. 

Police said that Anand and his six or seven friends (two of them identified as Basavaraju and Srinivas) reached the apartment room at midnight and again began drinking. 

Police said that while three of Anand’s friends slept off after having their fill, Anand, Basavaraju, Srinivas and two others continued drinking. An argument broke out between them in the wee hours and in a drunken stupor, Anand was stabbed multiple times with beer bottles. The Police, however, did not specify who actually broke the beer bottles and stabbed Anand. After leaving Anand in a pool of blood, the assailants escaped. 

Meanwhile, one of Anand’s friends who woke up early, noticed blood splattered all over the room and walls. He woke up his other friends and informed the Police. 

The Police rushed to the spot and investigations have revealed that over six to seven friends had accompanied Anand to the service apartment. As all were high on booze, a dispute may have erupted when the others launched a bloody attack on Anand in a fit of rage, Police added. 

Police sources told Star of Mysore that two of Anand’s friends are being interrogated at Kuvempunagar Police. But there is no official confirmation yet on this. City Police Commissioner Dr. Chandragupta said that the Police have collected information about those who had joined Anand in the birthday bash at the apartment. 

The Commissioner, DCP (Law and Order) A.N. Prakash Gowda, Devaraja ACP Shashidhar, Kuvempunagar Inspector Raju visited the spot. Forensic experts are scanning the crime scene for clues. The body has been shifted for post-mortem.