Mangalore : If the police had registered a case of accidental  death after the body of one Shivappa Nayak (35) of Adoor was found in a pond near his house on February 24, a thorough investigation by a special police team has now revealed that it was not an  accidental death but a case of murder.

Five persons namely Venkappa Nayak (30) of Mallapare, Kallathil Seetarama (32), Subraya (38), Shivappa’s relative Janardhan (28) and Somashekar (26) were arrested in this connection on May 23, Thursday.

It is Shivappa’s wife who had moved the SP and the Home Minister expressing suspicion over the cause of her husband’s death. The special team which probed the case found out that an old rivalry arising out of property dispute led to the murder.

It is learnt, the five intercepted Shivappa while he was on way home,dragged him into a conversation, picked up a quarrel, strangulated him and then threw his body into the pond.

They had later pretending unaware had even helped the family in the cremation works.

Adoor circle inspector A Satish Kumar led the investigations.