BENGALURU: Whitefield traffic police, who were investigating an alleged hit-and-run case, unearthed a much larger conspiracy of murder. A cab driver is accused of deliberately knocking down a 58-year-old farmer, Subbarayappa, and was hired to make it look like a road accident. And the contract killing seems to have been plotted by the victim’s own wife and son, with the police citing a property dispute as the motive.
A police officer said that GS Devraj, Subbarayappa’s son, filed an accident case alleging that his father was killed in a road accident. He demanded that the vehicle involved be identified. The family resides in Gunjur. On January 21, Subbarayappa was riding his scooter, when a speeding cab rammed his vehicle, killing him on the spot.
During inspection, police suspected something fishy, and a team led by Whitefield traffic inspector SR Manjunath, probed deeper. The accident spot is isolated, with no CCTV cameras nearby. The road has many bad patches. Considering the accident’s impact, it was evident that it may have been planned. Meanwhile, police found that an SUV without any registration plate was near the scene where the accident took place.
The police then zeroed in on the driver, Anil Kumar, whose phone was found to be switched off. His call records revealed that he was in touch with Yashodhamma, Subbarayappa’s wife, who feigned ignorance when questioned. Suspecting her role, police detained Anil, who confessed that he was offered Rs 6 lakh by Yashodhamma and Devraj to kill Subbarayappa. Anil said he took the help of his associates, Nagesh and Dhanush, in the crime. Later, the victim’s wife and son also confessed, alleging that Subbrayappa had an affair, and they feared they would lose their property.