Hassan: A 58-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly killing a 67-year-old woman over a loan repayment dispute and throwing her body into a canal in Arakalagudu taluk. Police identified the accused as Ramesh, who allegedly murdered Lakshmamma and stole approximately 120 grams of her gold jewellery.
The case came to light after Lakshmamma’s body was discovered inside a plastic bag in a canal near Bettadahalli village on October 7. She had gone missing four days earlier, on October 3, after informing her husband that she was travelling to Vijikoppalu.
During the investigation, police traced the case to Ramesh. According to investigators, he offered Lakshmamma a lift on his motorcycle and took her to a secluded place near Bettadahalli. He allegedly assaulted her by slapping her and then strangled her. After the killing, he removed her jewellery, packed the body into a plastic bag and disposed of it in the canal.
Police said the alleged motive was a financial dispute. Lakshmamma had reportedly borrowed Rs 50,000 from Ramesh, and the accused allegedly decided to kill her because the money had not been returned. Arakalagudu Circle Inspector Vasanth Kumar told that the accused had confessed to the crime during questioning.
The stolen ornaments reportedly included a mangalsutra, a gold chain, earrings, a maati ornament and three rings, weighing around 120 grams in total. Investigators said Ramesh pledged one of the rings at a pawn shop and hid the remaining jewellery among plastic pipes in an old shed near a ginger field.
Konanur police recovered the ornaments as part of the investigation and arrested Ramesh. He has been sent to judicial custody, officials said.
This post was last modified on October 12, 2026 4:00 pm