Three held for killing business partner over financial dispute: Cops

Devaraj, who operated a KMF milk parlour in Bashettihalli, was reported missing by his family members on October 18

Three people have been arrested in connection to the murder of a 65-year-old man over financial disputes related to real estate business, Doddaballapura Rural Police officers aware of the matter said on Sunday.

The accused, Raj Kumar (45) from Gauribidanur, and Anil Mora (40) and Naga Prasanna (34), both residents of Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, were arrested on Friday and were friends and business associates of the victim. (Representational image)

Police identified the victim as Devaraj, a resident of Bashettihalli. The accused, Raj Kumar (45) from Gauribidanur, and Anil Mora (40) and Naga Prasanna (34), both residents of Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, were arrested on Friday and were friends and business associates of Devaraj.

Devaraj, who operated a KMF milk parlour in Bashettihalli, was reported missing by his family members on October 18. Initially registered as a missing person case, investigation soon revealed a gruesome sequence of events.

Inspector Sadhik Pasha, leading the investigation, said that financial disputes over real estate dealings among them escalated, culminating in the murder. Devaraj had loaned ₹20 lakh to two of the accused, Mora and Kumar. “The accused hatched a plan to murder Devaraj as he was mounting pressure on them to repay the loan,” Pasha said.

On October 18, the accused lured Devaraj into a car under the pretext of repaying the loan. Mora, seated in the back of the car, allegedly strangled Devaraj during the drive. The body was initially burnt in a pit near Infosys City on the outskirts of Doddaballapura, police said.

However, as police closed in on the suspects, they exhumed the body, burnt it further, and disposed of the remains in Madhure Lake, located five kilometres from the initial crime scene. The suspects later sold the car used in the crime to a person in Kolar, they added.

Forensic experts assisted police in recovering the partially burnt human bones from the Madhure Lake on Friday afternoon. Items such as hair, slippers, and other belongings identified by Devaraj’s family were also retrieved from the spot. Authorities are awaiting forensic confirmation to verify the identity of the remains.

“We have booked the accused under BNS Section 103 (murder) and taken them into custody for three days for further interrogation,” Pasha added.