The district police of Belagavi have successfully cracked a sensational murder case involving former soldier Sandeep Manjaragi, aged 46, and have apprehended nine individuals in connection with the crime. Addressing the media on Monday, Superintendent of Police K Ramarajan revealed that the incident occurred within the jurisdiction of the Ghataprabha and Yamakanmardi police stations.
Conspiracy to Claim Insurance
The accused allegedly conspired to murder Manjaragi to claim an insurance amount of Rs 2 crore. Police stated that the group also attempted to destroy evidence to prevent the detection of poison in forensic examination reports. All nine accused have been taken into custody, and further investigation is underway.
Sequence of Events
According to SP Ramarajan, on March 13, Manjaragi’s motorcycle skidded within the limits of Yamakanmardi police station. He was first admitted to a government hospital and later shifted to Ghataprabha JG Hospital. He was declared dead on March 15, with the cause initially cited as a heart attack.
However, suspicion arose as he had not suffered serious injuries in the accident. His body was sent to BIMS Hospital for postmortem, and the initial Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report also ruled out poisoning. The death was initially portrayed as an accident, but the probe later revealed it was a premeditated murder.
Involvement of FSL Officials
There were also allegations of attempts to divert the investigation by tampering with postmortem findings and the FSL report. For the first time in the state, the alleged involvement of FSL officials in a murder case has come to light, he said. Among those arrested are the deceased’s wife, Suma Manjaragi, her lover Pundalik Dombar, and her friend Sachin Selar. Others include FSL senior scientific officer PM Nagaraj, lab assistant Channappa Adaviswamimath, clerk Appasab Naikwadi, and Ashok Gujanal, an assistant at the police commissioner’s office.
Financial Transactions
Police said there were allegations that Rs 3 lakh was paid to manipulate the report. The investigation revealed that the money was distributed by Suma, and the FSL officials were contacted through FDA Ashok Gujanal. A social media post by Pundalik Dombar gave a new twist to the case, and the conspiracy was fully exposed during police interrogation.
Motive and Relationship
Suma and Pundalik had been in an illicit relationship for the past two-and-a-half years. Meanwhile, insurance policies worth about Rs 2 crore had been taken in Sandeep’s name from three companies, which became the motive for the murder.
Execution of the Crime
The investigation further revealed that Sandeep was admitted to a special room at JG Hospital with the help of staffer Rahul Jogi. Poison was allegedly mixed into a saline bottle and administered to him. RMP doctor Basavaraj Bhasme was also involved in the crime, police said.
