Brother of ex-Karnataka MLA found dead day after he went missing

The body of BM Mumthaz Ali, a businessman and brother of former Karnataka legislator Mohiuddin Bava, was found in the Phalguni River near Kulur in Mangaluru on Monday, just a day after he was reported missing. Divers located the 52-year-old’s body after an extensive search, according to the authorities.
Ali, who served as chairman of the Misbah Group of Educational Institutions, went missing in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“We have registered an FIR against six individuals, including a woman, in connection with his death,” a police official said. “Preliminary investigations indicate that Ali was being blackmailed by a group over an alleged illicit affair with the woman. The group extorted Rs 50 lakh from him and demanded further payments.”
Before his death, Ali sent a voice message to his daughter and a close friend, revealing that he was being blackmailed by the group. The family had been aware of the ongoing harassment, authorities said.
Ali, who was known for his involvement in local mosque committees and social work, left his home around 3 am on Sunday, according to the police. He drove around Mangaluru before stopping his car near Kulur Bridge at around 5 am.
Confirming the recovery of the body, Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal told news agency PTI that a probe was ongoing to ascertain the cause of his death.
“We deployed teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) and fire department. Around six teams were working continuously to trace the body… This morning, at 6 am, we resumed operation and we found the body around 10.15 am. The body was shifted to hospital for post-mortem and further examination,” he told reporters.
“After recovering of body, we have added section of abetment to suicide in this case. We will be taking up further investigation. All the six people named in the FIR are currently absconding. Our teams are searching them and hopefully, we will nab them soon,” Agarwal added.
The body was shifted to the city’s Hospital for post-mortem examination, police said.