Two years after murder, son’s skeleton found in pit; father accused after death

A hidden family murder in Karnataka’s Santebasavanahalli surfaced after a father’s death, revealing he allegedly killed his son in 2022 over financial disputes and buried him in a percolation pit. Police exhumed skeletal remains and launched further investigations.

Hassan: In a chilling revelation from Santebasavanahalli village of Alur taluk, a two-year-old murder came to light after the death of the accused father. Police say Gangadhar, who died on August 1 this year, had allegedly killed his son Raghu (32) in 2022 over financial disputes and buried the body in a percolating pit behind their house.

The truth emerged only after relatives noticed Raghu’s absence during his father’s final rites. Not only did he fail to attend the funeral, but he was also absent for the subsequent ritual ceremonies, raising suspicion among the family. On August 11, during the Vaikuntha Samaradhane function, relatives pressed Raghu’s mentally challenged brother, Rupesh, for answers. Under pressure, Rupesh reportedly disclosed that their father had murdered Raghu and buried him in the backyard.

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Police and local authorities conducted an excavation and recovered Raghu’s skeletal remains from the turmeric pit on Tuesday. The remains have been sent to the district hospital for postmortem examination.

Investigations suggest that Raghu, a former BMTC employee, had lost lakhs of rupees in cricket betting and card games. After losing his job, he returned to his native village and allegedly harassed his father for money to repay debts. The arguments escalated, and in a fit of rage, Gangadhar is said to have attacked Raghu with a deadly weapon, leading to his death. He then buried the body to hide the crime.

A complaint was lodged by Gangadhar’s relative, Palaksha, at the Alur Police Station. Police have registered a case and intensified the investigation to uncover more details about the murder.