Six arrested for murder of habitual offender in Gauribidanur; wife among accused

The Gauribidanur Town Police have arrested six people, including the victim’s wife, in connection with the murder of a 48-year-old man, following a detailed investigation that uncovered an attempt to pass off the crime as an accidental death.

The deceased, identified as Sadiq alias Shivakumar, 48, a resident of Bisavanahalli village, Doddaballapur taluk, was found dead at his house in Gauribidanur on March 27.

Shivakumar fell in love with Reshma, an employee of a finance company, and married her a few years ago.

His brother, Yellappa, grew suspicious after being informed over the phone about the death and later lodged a complaint, suspecting the involvement of Reshma and her associate Sharukh.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered at the Gauribidanur Town Police Station. Acting under the guidance of district police officials, special teams were formed to probe the case.

The investigation led to the arrest of six accused: Reshma, Sharukh, Siddha Battuni Parthu alias Lalit Sai, Aluri Anand Babu, Dantam Ramu, and Karumuri Akshay, the latter four hailing from Andhra Pradesh.

Police said the accused confessed to assaulting Sadiq with wooden reapers at Reshma’s residence on the evening of March 26, leading to his death.

They later attempted to stage the incident as an accidental death, claiming that Sadiq had returned home injured, collapsed, and died.

However, during a spot inspection, police, along with the Scene of Crime Officers team, found multiple injuries on the body, including fractures in both legs, indicating a brutal assault. The post-mortem report corroborated these findings.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Prakash R., the probe revealed that Sadiq, a habitual offender involved in several robbery and chain-snatching cases, had been harassing and physically abusing Reshma for money. He was reportedly unemployed and frequently demanded money.

Reshma had shared her ordeal with her brother Sharukh, who confronted Sadiq earlier and allegedly threatened him. Enraged, Sharukh, along with his associates, attacked Sadiq when he returned home, leading to his death.

All the accused have been booked on charges of murder, destruction of evidence, and misleading the police.