Mangaluru: Bharat Kumdel, a resident of Bantwal Taluk, appeared before the District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru on October 10, 2025, after repeatedly failing to appear in connection with a 2017 murder case.

The court has ordered judicial custody of the accused until October 25, 2025. The 2017 case, registered at Bantwal City Police Station under FIR No. 169/2017, pertains to the killing of Kalai Ashraf and includes charges under Sections 143, 147, 148, 447, 448, 302, 120(B), 201, and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Bharat Kumdel had been absconding since the filing of the case. Police records indicate that Kumdel is linked to multiple cases spanning over a decade across Bantwal and surrounding areas.