Man killed staged accident for property and accident insurance, father-in-law among 4 arrested

HAVERI: A 38-year-old man was killed in a staged accident by his father-in-law and three of his accomplices at Rattihalli in the district to claim his property, including 8 acres of land, a house as well as an accidental insurance policy worth lakhs of rupees.

The victim is Basavaraj Puttappanavar while the accused are Siddanagouda Halageri and his accomplices Raghvendra Malagondara, Praveen and Lokesh. They have since been arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

Basavaraj, a lonely man who had lost his parents and brothers, was a drunkard, and his father-in-law saw an opportunity to gain control of his property. His family members had got a stay order from a court to prevent any sale of property.

The accused allegedly hatched a plan to kill Basavaraj and make it look like an accident. On September 27, they got him drunk, took him to a remote area outside the village, and rammed his two-wheeler with a car, making it appear like an accident. However, the police investigation revealed that it was a premeditated murder, and the accused have been arrested and taken into judicial custody.

The family members had expressed suspicion that it was not an accident and had alleged murder. The police investigation revealed that the accused had planned the murder meticulously, even going to the extent of getting Basavaraj’s insurance policy done.