Bengaluru:
A 32-year-old man, who hired two contact killers by offering them ₹1 crore to murder his father, was arrested in Bengaluru, police said on Tuesday.
According to police, the man, Manikanta, wanted to take over his father’s property. He was unhappy that his father had distanced himself from him after Manikanta was arrested on murder charges in 2013.
P N Narayana Swamy, 70, was killed outside his apartment in Marathahalli on February 13 by two assailants. Swamy’s wife Ashwathamma filed a complaint with the police, and Manikanta was the only eyewitness to the murder, according to the FIR.
Police said that though Manikanta was the eyewitness, due to his past crime records he was suspected in the case. Manikanta’s first wife was killed in 2013 and the police had arrested him on murder charges. He was acquitted in the case in 2020 and later married Archana.
“The call detail records (CDR) and other technical evidence pointed to Manikanta. He confessed to the crime when he was taken into custody,” said S Girish, DCP, Whiteified.
According to investigators, Manikanta came in contact with the two contract killers while he was in jail. Manikanta offered the assailants, Shivakumar, 24, and Adarsha T, 26, ₹1 crore, a flat, and gold valuables, He also paid ₹1 lakh to the accused in advance, said the police.
As per the plan, Shivakumar and Adarsha kept a watch on Narayanaswamy and hacked him to death at the parking lot of his apartment on February 13 and sped away, said the police. Manikanta, who was at home, rushed his father to the hospital to create an alibi and even performed his last rites.
A year after his second marriage, Manikanta’s second wife Archana had moved out of the house. “She was unhappy with Manikanta’s behaviour and the company he was keeping. She had found evidence suggesting he was having an extramarital affair,” said a senior officer.
The officer added that when Archana filed for divorce earlier this year, Swamy urged her not go ahead with the move. To dissuade her, he promised her a 60×40 plot, a 3-BHK flat, ₹15 lakh cash and 1.7 acre of land near Hoskote.
“When Manikanta came to know about this, he was angry. His father was angry when he learnt about the extramarital affair. They had an argument where Swamy said Manikanta won’t get any property, and this led to him planning the murder,” said the officer.
On Manikanta confession, Shivakumar and Adarsha were arrested. Police have recovered the bike and weapons used by the accused for the murder.