Bagalkot, 11 Oct

The death of journalist Basavaraj Kanakond in Karnataka’s Bagalkot, initially believed to be a road accident, has been confirmed as murder linked to blackmail over an illegal rice supply racket, police said on Saturday. Bagalkot police have apprehended three individuals in connection with the case.

Kanakond died on 8 October after his scooter was hit by an unidentified vehicle near Madarkhandi Cross in Jamakhandi taluk. The incident, first treated as an accident, came under scrutiny after his wife filed a complaint, prompting police to reopen the probe.

Kanakond had reportedly collected proof about an illegal rice network. Rather than publishing the story, he began blackmailing the implicated individuals, police said.

Bagalkot Superintendent of Police Siddharth Goyal commended the swift action of Jamakhandi Circle Inspector Mallappa Maddi and his team.

Inspector Maddi said broken mirror fragments and traces from mini goods carrier helped track the vehicle involved. A radium sticker with the word ‘Premaloka’ confirmed the victim’s scooter identity. Police also examined phone records and local sticker shops to piece together evidence.

The accused — Shouqatali Sulaiman Mulla, Nandeshwar Pavari, and Mahesh Pavari — have been arrested for conspiring to kill Kanakond.

Investigators said Shouqatali, allegedly involved in the illegal rice trade, confessed to planning the murder after the journalist blackmailed him. The accused claimed the journalist continued to demand more money. Enraged, Shouqatali and his aides allegedly rammed Kanakond’s scooter with a mini truck, killing him on the spot.

 The Food and Civil Supplies Department is probing the illegal rice trade.