Karnataka: Charred body of man found inside burnt car - How the police unravelled a shocking crime story
Shivamogga murder case: When the Shivamogga Police recovered a burnt car with a charred body of a man inside it in the Hunasekoppa forest area on September 28, they had little idea that they would be probing a crime story with several shocking plots and twists.
The police initially believed that it was a case of suicide and started scanning missing person reports from nearby stations. The Thirthahalli
Police got their first clue from the chassis number of the burnt car. The vehicle belonged to 45-year-old businessman Vinod.
How the crime unfolded
The police reached Vinod's house where his wife Binu told the cops that her husband was disturbed for the last few days due to losses he suffered in business. She said that Vinod had gone to Mangaluru for some work. Binu said Vinod often went on business tours and would not call them for days. The family had last seen him three days ago, but there was nothing unusual in it so they never thought of registering any report with the police, she said.
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A DNA test later confirmed that the charred body found inside the car was indeed of Vinod. Until now, the police had nothing to doubt the family. However, that changed soon.
The post-mortem report
When the post-mortem report arrived, the police team investigating the case was stunned. Vinod had deep wounds on his skull. He died due to the injury on his head and later his body was burnt. The statements of Binu and her two sons didn't match. The police then intensified the probe. The family was questioned repeatedly and ultimately they spilled the beans.
Extra-marital affair, money, and murder
Upon interrogation, Binu and her two sons - Vivek and Vishnu - admitted to the crime in which Vinod's brother Sanjay and another relative Ashok were also involved. On September 25, Vinod had a heated argument with his wife and sons over the money that he got from the sale of a land plot. Vinod wanted to give Rs 51 lakh to another woman with whom he had an affair. During the argument, his elder son Vivek hit Vinod with a rod on his head killing him on the spot.
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Since Vinod's brother Sanjay was aware of his extra-marital relationship, he tried to save the family and planned to cover up the crime. He asked one of the relatives to bring petrol. They then drove to a nearby forest in Vinod's car and later shifted his body on the driver's seat and set the vehicle on fire to make it look like a suicide. However, the car's chassis number, post-mortem report, and the mismatch in statements of family members led the police to the accused.
