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How a KSRTC bus dashcam exposed a man’s Rs 40 lakh plot to kill his wife in Dharwad
The Dharwad police said they initially registered a hit-and-run case, but later uncovered that the mastermind behind the woman's killing was her estranged husband.
Udaykumar, who was arrested by Karnataka Police for the alleged contract killing of his wife, Lalitha Hattarki, near Dharwad. Investigators claim he conspired to murder her to avoid a court-ordered transfer of 1.5 acres of land.
On February 26, 42-year-old Lalitha Hattarki was fatally hit by a black SUV near Amminabhavi on the Savadatti Road in Karnataka’s Dharwad district. What was initially treated as a road accident took a shocking turn after dashcam footage from a state-run bus revealed that the incident was a premeditated murder.
According to the Dharwad police, they initially registered a hit-and-run case, but later uncovered that the mastermind behind her killing was her estranged husband, Udaykumar Hattarki.
Gunjan Arya, Superintendent of Police, Dharwad, said, “When we got hold of a KSRTC bus dash cam footage which had recorded the entire act, it became clear that it was not an accident but an intentional attack,” he said.
The police later arrested Udaykumar along with his associates, Nagappa Madivalappa Padekar, Abhishek Varagannavar, and Nagaraj Madivalappa Uppin.
A police officer added that Uday and Lalitha got married in 2000, but differences arose over the years, prompting Lalitha to return to her parental home.
“A divorce case was pending in court, and a Lok Adalat had recently directed Udaykumar to transfer 1.5 acres of land to Lalita as maintenance. Unable to accept the order, he conspired to eliminate her instead and paid Rs 40 lakh to kill her,” the officer added.
The police said Udaykumar lured Lalita to the Savadatti Road on the pretext of discussing the dispute. His associates then rammed her with the SUV, which did not have a number plate, making the killing appear accidental.
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Despite the missing plate, the police traced the vehicle and its occupants through CCTV footage. Call detail records between Uday and his accomplices, along with the timing of his call to Lalitha, corroborated the sequence of events, a police officer added.
After the police arrested Udaykumar and his associates last Thursday, they were sent to judicial custody.
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