Dharwad Rural police have arrested three individuals in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a Tibetan Buddhist monk, whose body was discovered near the Pune–Bengaluru National Highway bypass last week.
Victim Identified
The victim has been identified as Tashi Dhondup, 40, a resident of Camp-1 in Mundgod, Uttara Kannada district. His body was found near a bridge on Haliyal Road on April 29. Police reported that the body bore multiple injuries and the legs were tied, indicating foul play.
Arrests Made
Following a preliminary investigation, police traced the accused to Kolhapur district in Maharashtra and apprehended Sanket Sattappa Yadav (24), Siddesh Sunil Bhosle (18), and Vaibhav Maruti Chavan (30), all residents of Bhudargad.
Confession and Motive
During interrogation, the trio reportedly confessed to kidnapping Dhondup from Mundgod in an Ertiga car with the intention of extorting money. When their extortion plan failed, they allegedly assaulted him to death and later dumped the body near an underpass on Haliyal Road before fleeing.
Superintendent of Police Gunjan Arya stated that a search is ongoing for two more accused. The arrested individuals were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to apprehend the remaining suspects and gather further evidence related to the case.
