When farmers found a body floating in the Krishna waters near Athani a few days ago, they informed the police. Police officers who retrieved the body were surprised to find gold biscuits valued at ₹ 77 lakh in a trouser pocket.
Routine investigation led them to Patagaon village in Maharashtra. A woman from the village came to Athani and identified the man as her husband Sagar Patil.
She said that her husband had left with another person from Athani to work in a gold jewellery shop in Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar, earlier known as Mughalsarai, in Uttar Pradesh, a few months ago. She had not heard of him since then.
Athani Police identified the other person as Santosh Patil, who is related to Sagar Patil. He revealed that Sagar Patil had gone missing.
Meanwhile, Belagavi Police, who got in touch with Uttar Pradesh police, came to know that Sagar Patil and his friend Navanath Babar had hatched a conspiracy to steal gold from Santosh Patil’s shop.
Sagar Patil took some gold biscuits and money and fled to Athani from Uttar Pradesh. Navanath Babar, who met him at the border, killed him and took his bag containing the valuables. He threw the body in the Krishna, without realising that there were some gold biscuits left in a trouser pocket.
Athani Police have arrested Navanath Babar. A case has been registered, said Police Inspector Shankargouda Basanagoudar.
