In a shocking case of alleged murder, conspiracy and forensic manipulation in Karnataka, Belagavi district police has arrested nine people, including the victim's wife, a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) officer, and a city police personnel, for allegedly orchestrating the killing of a former soldier to claim an insurance payout of nearly Rs 2 crore.
Belagavi Superintendent of Police K Ramarajan said the victim, 46-year-old Sandeep Kalagouda Manjargi of Ghodageri village in Hukkeri taluk, was allegedly murdered as part of a meticulously planned scheme to obtain accident insurance benefits.
Manjargi, an Army veteran, suffered minor injuries after falling from his motorcycle while returning to his village on March 13. He was initially admitted to a government hospital in Hukkeri, where doctors reportedly found that his injuries were not serious. However, his wife, Suma, later shifted him to JJ Hospital in Ghataprabha, where he died on March 15. His death was initially attributed to cardiac arrest.
Doctors at JJ Hospital reportedly grew suspicious and recommended a post-mortem examination at the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS). Both the initial autopsy and a subsequent FSL analysis concluded that cardiac arrest was the cause of death.
Lover's fallout exposes murder conspiracy
For nearly two months, the alleged conspirators appeared to have succeeded in concealing the crime. The case took a dramatic turn when a dispute erupted between Suma and her alleged lover, Pundalik Vitthal Dombar, over financial matters.
According to investigators, the disagreement escalated to the point where Suma allegedly threatened to end the relationship. Believing that the entire insurance payout would ultimately go to Suma as the legal beneficiary, Dombar decided to expose the plot.
He released a video on social media claiming that Manjargi had been murdered and asserting that he possessed detailed knowledge of the crime. The video prompted police to launch a fresh investigation.
Investigators later discovered that after retiring from the Army, Manjargi had partnered with Dombar in 2023 to run a food stall near Hidkal Dam. During that period, Dombar and Suma allegedly developed an illicit relationship. Police suspect the pair conspired to eliminate Manjargi in order to secure the insurance money.
Poisoning, cover-up and forensic tampering
The investigation revealed that Rahul Hanumant Jogi, a relative of Dombar and an employee at JJ Hospital, allegedly persuaded the family to shift Manjargi to the facility and assured the conspirators that the plan could be executed without raising suspicion.
Police claim that on March 14, three accused attempted to administer rat poison intravenously, but the attempt failed. The following day, they allegedly procured a different poison from an external source, injected it into the victim, and also administered sleeping pills. Manjargi subsequently died, with the death initially being recorded as cardiac arrest.
Following Dombar's revelations, authorities exhumed Manjargi's body and ordered a second post-mortem examination.
The probe further revealed that Suma's mother, a retired health worker, allegedly sought help from registered medical practitioner Basavaraj Bhasme in an effort to protect her daughter. Bhasme then allegedly approached his relative, Ashok Gujanal, a city police employee. Together, they are accused of contacting FSL staff member Appasab Fakhruddin Naikwadi to manipulate forensic findings.
Police allege that FSL laboratory assistant Channappa Adaviswamyamath, in collusion with Senior Scientific Officer PM Nagaraju, altered forensic reports to conceal evidence of poisoning and ensure that the death appeared natural.
In another startling revelation, police said YouTuber Sachin Selar and three others, who had allegedly learned about the murder from Dombar, attempted to extort money and demand sexual favours from Suma in exchange for their silence.
All nine accused have been arrested, and further investigations are underway into what police describe as a deeply disturbing conspiracy involving murder, insurance fraud, and the alleged manipulation of forensic evidence.
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