Hubballi Police Uncover Murder in Case Initially Reported as Accident
Police in Hubballi made a significant breakthrough on Sunday by arresting three suspects in connection with the killing of a construction contractor from Vijayapura district. What was first reported as an accidental fall from a building on Saturday has now been confirmed as a deliberate murder following a thorough police investigation.
From Accident to Murder Investigation
The case began when authorities at Navanagar police station registered an incident involving a man falling from a building. Initial reports suggested this was simply a tragic accident. However, police investigators quickly noticed inconsistencies in the evidence and witness statements.
Their diligent work revealed that this was no accident at all. The victim, construction contractor Vitthal Rathod, had actually been murdered. This discovery transformed what seemed like a routine accident case into a serious homicide investigation.
Three Arrests Made in Contractor Killing
Navanagar police have now arrested three workers from Chhattisgarh on charges of murdering Vitthal Rathod. The suspects have been identified as Meghav Satnavi, Vimala Satnavi, and Bhagavanadas Satnavi. All three were reportedly working with the contractor on various projects.
Police Commissioner N Shashikumar provided details about the case during a press briefing. He explained that Vitthal Rathod, a contractor from Vijayapura, had been overseeing small construction jobs at the administrative building of the Law University. For this work, he had employed a family of three workers originally from Chhattisgarh.
Motive Revealed as Illicit Relationship
According to Commissioner Shashikumar, the investigation uncovered that the woman in the worker family was having an affair with contractor Vitthal Rathod. This relationship did not sit well with her husband and son, who strongly objected to the situation.
The tension escalated into a physical confrontation between the two men and the contractor. During this altercation, an enraged Bhagavanadas allegedly struck Vitthal on the head with a hammer. This violent attack proved fatal for the contractor.
Attempted Cover-Up Uncovered
After the killing, the suspects reportedly tried to conceal their crime. They destroyed evidence and initially claimed that Vitthal Rathod had died while intoxicated. They staged the scene to make it appear like an accidental fall from the building.
Police Commissioner Shashikumar emphasized that authorities will conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of this case. He assured that appropriate legal action will be taken against those responsible for both the murder and the attempted cover-up.
Missing Children Located in Joida
In a separate development from Dharwad district, police have successfully traced two children who were reported missing. The children, a girl and a boy, had disappeared from a government primary school in Kamalapur area of Dharwad.
Initial reports indicated that a man had taken the children away on his motorcycle. Authorities located both children at Joida in Uttara Kannada district on Monday. Dharwad suburban police are currently investigating whether this incident constitutes a kidnapping case or involves other circumstances. Further details about this case remain pending as the investigation continues.
