A murder case has rocked Karnataka's Belagavi district, where the live-in partner of the 25-year-old woman was allegedly killed by his father and uncle after she opposed his plans to marry another woman. The accused disposed of the body in a remote forest in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district in a bid to destroy evidence.
Gangavva Hanchinamani, a resident of Vantamuri village in Belagavi taluk, was identified as the victim. The police investigation revealed she was in a live-in relationship with Basavaraj Karnavar, a 33-year-old private school teacher from Rajankatti village in Hukkeri taluk, for nearly ten years.
The trouble began when Basavaraj ended the relationship and married another woman, police said. Gangavva was against the marriage and played a role in preventing it from taking place, they alleged. Police believe that this caused tension between the couple.
Investigators suspect that Basavaraj realised that he would not be able to pursue his new marriage if Gangavva remained in his life. Police claim that he then conspired with his father, Yallappa and uncle Lagamappa to eliminate her.
As part of this plan, Gangavva was allegedly persuaded by the accused to go on a trip with them, and they said they would visit Vishalgad. It is alleged that the accused took her from Belagavi to Tilari Ghat, a forested and hilly territory which is located in Chandgad taluk of Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district.
Police investigations show that when Gangavva reached the isolated location, the accused attacked her with an iron rod. The attack resulted in fatal head injuries. After killing her, the accused buried her body in the forested area of Tilari Ghat and returned to Karnataka.
The crime was undiscovered until May 29, when local authorities in Chandgad found a decomposed female body in the forest. The body was in a very bad state of decomposition, so identification was difficult at first.
Chandgad police conducted a post-mortem examination and performed the last rites after failing to identify the deceased in the early stages of the investigation. However, the autopsy report confirmed that the woman had suffered severe head injuries and had been murdered.
Investigators went to the streets, toll plazas and highways leading to the area and looked at the CCTV videos. They discovered a suspicious vehicle driving around the area. By tracing the vehicle registration number and watching surveillance footage, police could then track the victim and reconstruct her last journey.
The investigation finally led investigators to Basavaraj. During interrogation, evidence was found to link him, his father, and his uncle to the crime. Police then arrested all three suspects for murder.
And the arrests were just the result of a detailed interstate investigation involving multiple agencies and extensive examination of digital and physical evidence, said investigators.
Gangavva’s family is devastated. Her mother and brother have been demanding stiff punishment for the accused, as they never expected such a tragic end for their daughter and sister.
The incident has rocked Belagavi district and raised concerns about relationship-based violence, the police chief said.
A murder case has been registered, and the accused are in custody. Authorities will present a full chargesheet after the investigation and gathering all necessary evidence.
The brutal killing has once again highlighted how personal disputes and relationship conflicts can escalate into serious crimes, leaving families shattered and communities searching for answers.
