The Tumakuru district police in Karnataka have arrested three people, including a dentist, in connection with the murder of a 42-year-old woman whose body parts were found scattered across Chimpuganahalli. The deceased has been identified as Lakshmi Devi, and the accused are her son-in-law, Dr Ramachandraiah S, 47, along with Satish KN, 38, and 32-year-old Kiran KS.
The case began on August 4 when Devi’s husband, Basavaraj, filed a missing person’s report after she had left home to visit their daughter, Tejasvi, a day before.
On August 7, police received a grim alert: 19 body parts had been discovered inside bags at various locations. A murder investigation is underway, and police have started to cross-referencing the details with missing person reports from across the district. Basavaraj was eventually informed who identified the remains as his wife's.
A major breakthrough came from CCTV footage, which showed a Maruti Suzuki Brezza being used to dispose of the body parts. This vehicle was registered to Satish, one of the accused.
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"As Satish was taken to custody, he spilled the beans. Satish along with Kiran were taken into custody from Hornad. Ramachandraiah was in Dharmasthala after the murder and was not available for questioning. This also raised our suspicion,” a police officer said.
Tumakuru district’s Superintendent of Police, Ashok KV, said that Ramachandraiah allegedly claimed his mother-in-law’s interference was causing trouble in his marriage. Ramachandraiah, whose first marriage is still in the divorce process, married Devi’s daughter in 2019. The SP added, "He was unhappy over his mother-in-law’s interference."
Police are still trying to determine why the body was dismembered and dumped in so many locations. All three accused have been presented in court, and police have requested custody for further questioning. The car proved to be the key lead that allowed them to crack the case.
According to police, Satish was a patient of Ramachandraiah and lived close to him, while Kiran is Satish’s cousin. SP Ashok has denied any rumours that the murder was related to human sacrifice.
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