Friendship turns fatal: Axis Bank employee beaten to death by friends after liquor party in Udupi

Udupi: An incident that began as a celebration among close friends ended in tragedy in Kota Padukere of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, where a 30-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by his own friends following a minor argument during a late-night liquor party.

The deceased has been identified as Santosh Poojary (30), an employee of Axis Bank. According to police, Santosh and his friends had recently returned from a Sabarimala pilgrimage. To mark the occasion of removing their pilgrimage mala, the group gathered on the evening of December 14 for a drinking party.

After consuming alcohol at a bar, the group — Santosh, Sachin, Chetan, Kaushik, Sujan, Darshan and Ankith — moved to their usual meeting spot with the intention of having dinner together. They had brought biryani parcels and were about to eat when a minor disagreement reportedly broke out.

Police sources said the argument began over personal and family-related issues, as well as comments related to drinking habits. The verbal exchange soon escalated, with abusive language allegedly being used. In a fit of rage, Darshan, Kaushik, Ankith and Sujan allegedly assaulted Santosh.

During the scuffle, Darshan is said to have struck Santosh forcefully on the back of his neck, while Kaushik also assaulted him with his hands. Though a friend named Rajath attempted to intervene and stop the fight, Santosh collapsed on the spot.

Panicking after Santosh fell unconscious, the accused reportedly fled the scene. Santosh was found frothing at the mouth and unable to speak. Rajath, along with Sachin, Chetan and Prakash, rushed him in a car to a private hospital in Brahmavar. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Based on a complaint filed by Rajath, the Kota police registered a case and launched an investigation. Four accused — Darshan (21), Kaushik (21), Ankith (19) and Sujan (21) — have been arrested in connection with the case.

Police also revealed that Santosh was suffering from a heart ailment and had recently undergone a stent procedure, which may have aggravated the impact of the assault. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem report.

The shocking incident has left the local community disturbed, with many expressing concern over how a moment of anger among close friends led to the loss of a young life.

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