The police in Karnataka’s Chikkaballapur district have arrested six people, including the victim’s wife, in connection with the murder of the 48-year-old man, revealing Wednesday that the accused had tried to make the crime appear as an accidental death.

The deceased, identified as Sadiq alias Shivakumar, a resident of Bisavanahalli village in Doddaballapur taluk, was found dead at his house on March 27.

Suspicion arose when his brother, Yellappa, was informed of the death over the phone. Doubting the circumstances, he filed a complaint, suspecting the involvement of Sadiq’s wife, Reshma, and her brother, Sharukh.

Based on the complaint, the police registered a case and formed special teams to investigate the murder under the supervision of the district police officers. The probe led to the arrest of Reshma, Sharukh, Siddha Battuni Parthu alias Lalit Sai, Aluri Anand Babu, Dantam Ramu, and Karumuri Akshay.

According to investigators, Sadiq, a habitual offender involved in robbery and chain-snatching cases, frequently demanded money from Reshma and subjected her to physical assault. Unable to endure the abuse, Reshma confided in her brother Sharukh, who had earlier confronted and warned Sadiq.

The police said when Sadiq returned home on the evening of March 26, Sharukh and his associates allegedly attacked him, leading to his death.

According to the police, the accused later confessed to assaulting Sadiq with wooden reapers at Reshma’s residence and attempting to pass the murder off as an accident by claiming he had returned home injured, collapsed, and died.

However, a spot inspection by the police, along with the Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) team, revealed signs of a violent assault. “We found multiple injuries on the body, including fractures in both legs, which were inconsistent with an accidental fall and indicated a brutal attack,” a senior police officer said.

The post-mortem report corroborated these findings, ruling out the possibility of an accidental death.

During initial questioning, Reshma allegedly tried to mislead investigators by claiming she had fainted after seeing Sadiq collapse. However, sustained interrogation, supported by forensic and medical evidence, led to her confession, the police said.

All six accused have been booked on charges of murder, destruction of evidence, and misleading the police. Further investigation is ongoing.