Daijiworld Media Network - Haveri (SP)

Haveri, Aug 16: The case in which charred remains of a male were found inside a KSRTC bus parked in the government bus depot at Magod in the district on January 1 this year has taken a curious turn. It was believed then that the bus was burnt down by people who came to steal diesel from parked buses, and that Lingaraj Belaguthi, who was on security duty then, who fought with them was killed by thieves by dumping him inside the bus and setting it on fire.

Based on the above assumption, wife of Belaguthi was given employment in KSRTC on compassionate grounds, insurance was settled, and compensation was paid. However, Belaguthi suddenly surfaced two days back to claim that diesel thieves had abducted him and kept in confinement at various places before he escaped from their clutches and reached here. He however had failed to identify the places where he had been kept. He had said that during the fight with thieves, he had hit the head of one among them with a rod, killing him instantly, after which the thieves had torched the bus and taken him away.

District superintendent of police (SP), Parashuram K, clarified at a press conference held on Tuesday August 15 that this was a case of systematically planned murder and that Lingaraj Belaguthi, during police questioning, confessed that the person whose burnt body was found inside the bus belonged to his distant uncle, Channappa Basavanneppa Belaguthi (40). Lingaraj told the police that he decided to kill Channappa as he had illicit relationship with an aunt of Lingaraj, and his behaviour with Lingaraj's wife often was found to be bordering on vulgar.

Lingaraj told the police that on the evening of December 31 last year, he provided liquor in large quantities to Channappa at Harihar, brought him to the depot where he was posted, attacked and murdered him. He then put his uncle's body inside a bus, poured diesel on his body and started fire. He fled from there, and moved around various places like Huballi, Mumbai, Goa etc and after eight months, surrendered to police as he could not live away from his wife and child for long.

The DNA report of the body received only recently had found that the body was not that of Lingaraj. In a couple of days after the report became public, Lingaraj decided to surrender. The SP said that Lingaraj's mother and wife and others would be questioned as they could be important witnesses in the case.