Hunsur: In a shocking incident, a man was brutally murdered with sharp weapons in front of his family members last evening at Shabbir Nagar in Hunsur.

The victim has been identified as Khizar Pasha (50), a resident of Honnenahalli village in Saligrama Taluk. Police have named Ejaz Pasha, also from the same village and his associates as the prime accused in the murder.

According to preliminary information, Ejaz Pasha had allegedly defrauded several individuals, including his own relatives. Khizar Pasha had been actively working on behalf of the victims, which led to growing animosity between the two. Police sources confirmed that the duo had clashed recently.

On Friday, Khizar Pasha had visited a fruit warehouse in Shabbir Nagar, owned by Mohammad Fayaz, along with his family, to receive blessings from a Muslim spiritual leader visiting from Emmemadu in Kodagu. As the family was exiting the premises in their car, another vehicle arrived carrying Ejaz Pasha and his gang.

The assailants attacked Khizar Pasha with lethal weapons, inflicting 16 deep wounds across his face and body. Eyewitnesses claim that five individuals were involved in the assault. The attackers fled the scene in their vehicle immediately after the murder.

Senior Police officials, including SP N. Vishnuvardhana, Additional SP Mallik, Dy.SP Ravi and Hunsur Town Inspector Santosh Kashyap, visited the crime scene and conducted a preliminary investigation.

Two special teams have been formed to arrest the accused under the leadership of Inspector Santosh Kashyap and Saligrama Inspector Shashikumar.