Four arrested in Tumakuru for staging murder as road accident to claim insurance

The Tumakuru police have arrested four individuals, including a man's elder brother, for allegedly murdering him and staging his death as a road accident on the Hosanahalli–Badenahalli Gate road in Sira taluk. The suspects allegedly planned the crime to claim a Rs 15 lakh life insurance payout.

The victim, identified as Ramesh, was found dead beside his motorcycle on the Hosanahalli–Badenahalli Gate road on June 20. While the local police initially registered an unnatural death report, investigators quickly began to suspect foul play.

According to the police, several inconsistencies emerged during the preliminary examination of the crash site. Although the scene was set up to suggest a high-speed crash, the damage to the motorcycle and the pattern of injuries on Ramesh's body did not align with the typical destruction of a fatal road accident.

Investigators noted that high-speed accidents resulting in death usually cause significant vehicle damage, fractures, and clear impact-related signs. The circumstances and specific wounds on Ramesh's body raised doubts, prompting a deeper investigation.

Police suspicion soon focused on the victim's elder brother, 40-year-old Hanumantharaju alias Raju. Investigators discovered that Hanumantharaju had recently purchased a life insurance policy worth Rs 15 lakh in Ramesh’s name, listing himself as the sole nominee. The policy featured a higher payout in the event of an accidental death, which police say provided the motive for the murder.

During interrogation, Hanumantharaju confessed to conspiring with three accomplices to kill his brother for the insurance proceeds. On the night of June 19, the accused allegedly lured Ramesh to a secluded location under the pretext of performing a religious ritual.

Once there, the suspects assaulted Ramesh, attempted to run him over with a car multiple times, and ultimately strangled him using a battery jumper wire. To cover up the crime, they transported his body and motorcycle to the roadside, staging the scene to look like an accident.

Following the confession, the police registered a murder case and arrested Hanumantharaju alongside his three associates: Lakshmikanta alias Praveen, 31, Naveen Kumar, 28, and M D Jilan alias Rayyan, 21.