'Dead' guard had set his uncle afire: police

The security guard, who was believed to have been charred to death in a bus in Ranebennur, Haveri district, and reappeared on Monday in Hubballi, is actually a murderer, police now say.

Ningaraj, 40, had strangulated his uncle Channappa Basavaneppa Belagutti to death with a lungi on December 31, tied up the limbs of the body, doused it with diesel and set it on fire, Superintendent of Police K Parashuram told a press conference on Tuesday.

The guard murdered his uncle as the latter had an illicit relationship with one of his (Ningaraj’s) relatives and had behaved indecently with his wife. He had later fled to Goa and Mumbai.

Divisional controller of NWKRTC Jagadish V S told DH that they would take back the compensation of Rs 5.15 lakh to the family of the deceased.

DH News Service