An affair, a mom’s advice and a pilgrimage: Plot behind a Karnataka man’s murder

In 2013, a 36-year-old man named Nagesh was found murdered in a stream outside Bengaluru. Initially, his death was assumed to be a suicide or accident, but an autopsy revealed two deep stab wounds, changing the course of the investigation. The case eventually revealed that Nagesh had been murdered by a trio of individuals who were all known to him.

The murder took place after Nagesh discovered that his wife, Lalitha, had been having an affair with Raja, a younger man who was friends with Nagesh. Nagesh had warned Raja about the consequences of his actions. The murder was planned as a cover-up, with the pilgrimage to Dharmasthala being used to create a false narrative that Raja had accidentally fallen into the lake and died.

Lalitha's mother, Jayamma, allegedly gave her the green light to carry out the murder. Raja and another accomplice, Arun, were arrested and confessed to the crime, revealing that they had been paid Rs 10,000 each to carry out the murder, with Arun receiving an additional Rs 10,000 after the deed was done. The body of Nagesh was thrown into the Yanakanakunte stream. All four individuals involved in the murder were subsequently sentenced to life in prison.