Udupi police have opened an investigation into phone calls that used the name of alleged underworld figure Hemanth Poojary, linked to the murder of former Gram Panchayat president David D’souza. Several suspects have been arrested, while the mastermind behind the scheme remains at large.

  • Investigation of calls made under Hemanth Poojary’s name
  • Murder case of David D’souza
  • Kishore Ram Poojary arrested

Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar announced on Monday that the department is probing internet calls in which the caller identified himself as the alleged underworld operative Hemanth Poojary. The calls were allegedly made to former Mudarangadi Gram Panchayat president David D’souza and officials of the Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), urging them to award a pipeline‑laying contract for the UPCL desalination plant to D’souza’s brother Kishore Ram Poojary.

D’souza was murdered on August 7 outside his office in Pilar, Udupi district. The police have so far arrested ten individuals, including three alleged assailants and Kishore himself.

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According to Shankar, the caller repeatedly claimed to be “Hemanth Poojary” and pressured both UPCL officials and D’souza to allocate the contract to Kishore. A heated dispute erupted between Kishore and D’souza after the latter received the work order, leading Kishore to allegedly hand over a “supari” of ₹10 lakh to the three gunmen who later killed D’souza.

“We are not certain whether the calls were actually placed by Hemanth Poojary himself,” Shankar said. “In the past ten years, there have been no extortion calls traced back to him, who operates out of Mumbai.”

Historical Background

Hemanth Poojary has long been identified as a key figure in Mumbai’s organized crime circles, involved in extortion, contract killings, and illegal procurement. Despite his notoriety, there has been no documented instance of him using his name to conduct phone‑based scams outside of Mumbai, making this case a novel development in his criminal profile.

Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that the misuse of a notorious underworld figure’s identity to facilitate local extortion indicates a growing sophistication in organized crime networks, linking regional power brokers with national syndicates.

Criminologist Dr. Ananya Singh remarks, “The impersonation of a known gangster to manipulate public contracts reveals a disturbing evolution in criminal tactics.”
Did You Know?: The UPCL desalination plant’s pipeline project is one of the largest water‑purification initiatives on India’s southern coast, valued at over ₹12 billion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Who was David D’souza?
David D’souza was the former president of the Mudarangadi Gram Panchayat in Udupi, whose murder on August 7 sparked the current investigation.

Question 2: What is the current status of the investigation?
Police have arrested ten suspects, including Kishore Ram Poojary, and are conducting a multi‑state probe with assistance from Mumbai police to identify the individual who orchestrated the fraudulent calls.