Wife, lover held for murdering husband in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The Madanayakanahalli police have cracked the case of a charred unidentified body found near NICE Road at Gangondanahalli recently by arresting three accused, including the wife of the deceased.

The victim was identified as Basavaraju (28), a native of Yadgir. The police have arrested his wife Sharanamma (25), her lover Veerabhadra (19) and his associate Anil. All three are daily wagers.

A senior police officer said that Sharanamma had hatched the murder plot as her husband opposed her relationship with Veerabhadra. Basavaraju and Sharanamma lived in a rented house at Tigalarapalya. Veerabhadra, who worked at a nearby construction site, frequently interacted with the couple. Over time, Sharanamma and Veerabhadra developed an illicit relationship and had grown extremely close.

On Friday, while Basavaraju was asleep after consuming alcohol, Sharanamma called Veerabhadra home. The duo first smashed a stone on his head before strangling him with a rope. To dispose of the body, Veerabhadra sought help from his friend Anil, who arrived with his car.

Late at night, after ensuring the neighbourhood was asleep, they wrapped the body in old clothes and stuffed it into a sack. Carrying one litre of petrol, Anil drove them to an isolated area in Gangondanahalli, where they burnt the body in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Madanayakanahalli police had initially registered a case of an unidentified burnt body. Through investigation, they later identified the victim and arrested the accused late on Thursday night. All three have been taken into police custody for further investigation, and the car has been seized.