Missing Jain pontiff in K'taka murdered, police launch search for body

Belagavi (Karnataka), July 8 (IANS) A Jain pontiff who went missing in Karnataka earlier this week has been murdered as two accused persons, currently in police custody, confessed to killing him in Belagavi district, sources said on Saturday.

According to the police sources, Acharya Shree 108th Kamakimara Nandi Maharaja from Chikkodi went missing on Thursday from the Jain Basadi at Nandi Parvat in Horekodi.

A seach operation is currently underway to recover the body.

After the pontiff was reported to be missing, the management told the police that property documents related to the Jain Basadi were also unaccounted for.

The inmates of the ashram last saw him at about 10 p.m. on July 5.

The pontiff had been residing at the Jain Basadi for the last15 years.

The missing case was lodged with Chikkodi police station by Bheemappa Ugare, the President of Acharya Kamakumaranandi Charitable Trust.

The police had taken the two accused persons into custody in this connection.

During the course of investigation, they confessed to killing the pontiff but gave contradictory statements regarding the disposal of the body.

The accused told the police that they threw thebody into an abandoned well in Katakabavi village.

But when searched, the body was not found.

The accused later claimed of disposing the body into a river.

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