Ramesh 54 years old businessman was reported missing weeks ago. Police have now discovered that his wife Niharika along with her lover Nikhil and another accomplice Ankur were involved in his murder.
Bengaluru: An unidentified burnt body discovered in a coffee plantation in Karnataka Kodagu district three weeks ago has unveiled a gruesome murder plot. Ramesh a 54 years old businessman had been reported missing and investigations revealed that his wife Niharika, her lover, Nikhil and another accomplice Ankur orchestrated the murder for Ramesh money and travelled across state borders to dispose of the body. All three have been arrested.
A Body is Found
On October 8 police recovered a charred body at a coffee plantation near Suntikoppa in Kodagu. After attempts to identify the body were unsuccessful the police began reviewing CCTV footage to track vehicles that had passed through the area. A red Mercedes Benz drew their attention which was found to be registered in Ramesh name the same person whose wife had recently filed a missing person report. The police then reached out to their counterparts in Telangana where the car was registered.
As the investigation unfolded police began to suspect the involvement of Ramesh wife Niharika P (29). Upon her arrest she confessed to participating in Ramesh murder and identified her accomplices Nikhil veterinary doctor and Ankur. Authorities discovered that Niharika had a troubled upbringing her father passed away when she was 16 and her mother later remarried. Despite her challenges she excelled academically completed her engineering degree and entered the workforce. After marrying early and becoming mother she eventually separated. While living in Haryana she became embroiled in financial fraud and served time in prison where she met Ankur.
The Motive and the Murder
After her release from prison Niharika married Ramesh who was also on his second marriage. The businessman provided her with a lavish lifestyle which she grew accustomed to. At one point she demanded Rs.8/- crore from him. When Ramesh refused her substantial request Niharika anger escalated. In a relationship with Nikhil she along with him and Ankur plotted Ramesh murder to access his wealth. On October 1 the businessman was choked to death in Uppal Hyderabad. The trio returned to Ramesh residence, took cash and then drove to Bengaluru. After refuelling they continued to Kodagu over 800 km away from Uppal where they disposed of the body in a coffee estate. They covered the body with a blanket and set it on fire. The three then returned to Hyderabad where Niharika filed a missing person report for Ramesh.
What Police Said
Kodagu police chief Ramarajan stated that this was a challenging case since everything had been entirely destroyed. He explained Prima facie we determined that the body had been burned 3-4 days before the complaint was registered. Our crime team began investigating suspicious activities in the area. They noticed that on Saturday a vehicle was moving suspiciously between 12 am-2 am. We checked the CCTV footage but because it was nighttime the images were unclear. Therefore we examined footage from 500 CCTV cameras as far as Tumkur. With all the technical evidence we were able to trace a vehicle from Telangana belonging to a businessman named Ramesh.
Based on our investigation we have arrested several suspects identified as Niharika Age-29 and veterinary doctor Nikhil Age-28. Niharika is the prime suspect she allegedly murdered Ramesh the owner of the car. Along with Nikhil and another accomplice Ankur she was involved in the murder and disposal of the body he added.
