Belagavi Police have initiated an investigation into the death of 47-year-old moneylender and realtor Santhosh Dundappa Padmannavar, following suspicions raised by his 18-year-old daughter, Sanjana, who suspects foul play.
Santhosh’s body was exhumed after Sanjana, currently studying in Bengaluru, filed a complaint doubting the initial claim that her father died of a heart attack. Upon her return to the city, she expressed skepticism over the cause of death and alerted the police.
In her complaint, Sanjana named her mother, Uma (41), a friend named Shobit Gowda from Mangaluru (30), two servants—Nanda and Prakash—and an unidentified individual as potential suspects.
With approval from Sub-divisional Magistrate Shravan Kumar, police exhumed the body for a fresh post-mortem, and the results are awaited, according to Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang.
Santhosh, who lived with his wife and sons in a three-storey house in Anjaneya Nagar, was known for his financial influence and owned several luxury vehicles. His wife Uma had initially informed relatives that Santhosh passed away from a heart attack on the night of October 9, and his last rites were completed the following day.
Sanjana, however, grew suspicious when her mother delayed showing her CCTV footage from the house. She believes critical footage might have been deleted. The police, though unable to retrieve all recordings, obtained some from neighbors’ cameras, one of which shows two individuals leaving Santhosh’s house at night.
Investigators learned that Uma was unhappy with Santhosh’s behavior and had reportedly formed an online relationship, which caused tension between them. Police suspect Uma may have given Santhosh sleeping pills, after which he was possibly strangled by more than one person.
The investigation remains active, with further findings expected soon.
