Three people, who have been accused of killing a retired forest officer, tried to mislead the police by leaving their cellphones in different locations.
K.C. Chengappa, a retired assistant range forest officer, went missing on July 20, and was found dead near Alur in Hemavati backwaters seven days later. Vasanth Kumar (35), Vishwas (26) and Mohan (28) – residents of Hassan – had been arrested on Tuesday.
R.K. Shahapurwad, Superintendent of Police, said the three killed the victim after getting him to consume sleeping pills mixed in a soft drink and strangling him on July 20. “Chengappa, a real-estate broker, had borrowed Rs. 50 lakh from Rajanna, a potato grower, assuring him of an MBBS seat for his son in Bengaluru. Vasanth Kumar had known about the deal and hatched the conspiracy to kill him and make away with the money,” the SP said.
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The accused convinced Chengappa to travel with them in a car to Bengaluru. They had left their cellphones at their residences on the day.