Madikeri: Kodagu Police crack burnt body case, arrest victim's wife and 2 others

Madikeri: Kodagu Police have successfully arrested three suspects, including a woman, in connection with a partially burned body found in a coffee estate in Suntikoppa police jurisdiction on October 8.

The investigation, led by Kodagu District Police, resulted in the arrest of Niharika P. (29), originally from Mungir, Yadadri district of Telangana, now residing in Bengaluru’s Ramamurthy Nagar; Nikhil Mairreddy (28) from Vasavi Nagar, Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, also living in Ramamurthy Nagar; and Ankur Rana (30) from Haryana.

In a press conference, District Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan revealed that police had closely analyzed around 500 CCTV cameras to track down leads in the case. The deceased was identified as Ramesh Kumar (54), who was Niharika’s husband.

Upon further investigation, police identified a suspicious car that was traced back to Ramesh Kumar, who was originally from Hyderabad. The investigation confirmed Niharika as his second wife, he said.

Murder Plot for Rs 8 Crore from Property Sale

According to police, Niharika plotted the murder to gain Rs 8 crore from her husband’s property sale proceeds. To execute this plan, she sought help from her friend, Ankur Rana, who is originally from Haryana. Pretending to be taking Ramesh Kumar on a drive, Niharika and Rana stopped the car near Uppala-Bhuvanagiri Highway, where both suspects allegedly murdered him.

Clockwise from top left: The victim Ramesh Kumar, the accused Niharika, Ankur Rana, and Nikhil, and the burnt remains

Body Burned on Friend’s Advice

Following the murder, Niharika reached Bengaluru’s Horamavu area and informed her friend Nikhil about the incident. Based on his advice, they brought the body to a coffee estate near Suntikoppa set it on fire to destroy evidence, and fled. The murder took place on October 3, as per SP Ramarajan’s statement.

After a continuous 10-day investigation, police first arrested Niharika and Nikhil, who were subjected to interrogation. Ankur Rana, who had initially gone into hiding, was later apprehended in Haridwar.

The case was solved under the guidance of Additional SP Sunder Raj K.S. and DySP Gangadharappa R.E. of Somwarpet Subdivision, with four special investigation teams comprising a total of 16 police officers working on the case.