The arrested accused are Ningappa's wife Lakshmi, 38, and her paramour Tippesh Naik, 42, besides his friend Santosh, 40, all residents of Channagiri.A head constable’s casual conversation with a cab driver over a cup of tea led him to crack a murder case in Karnataka recently, around 18 months after the crime was committed. Following up on the crucial lead, the police arrested the deceased man’s wife and her paramour from Kerala, where they had been living under fake identities.On Monday, the police announced the arrests in Davanagere district’s Channagiri town. Officers identified the deceased as Ningappa, who had an areca nut business. The arrested accused are Ningappa’s wife Lakshmi, 38, and her paramour Tippesh Naik, 42, besides his friend Santosh, 40, all residents of Channagiri.The police said Ningappa, who hailed from Annapura village in Channagiri, was married to Lakshmi, a resident of Thygadakatte in Davanagere’s Honnali taluk. They had been married for eight years, but Ningappa was unable to father children.Affair, abortion, and murderNingappa’s friends Tippesh and Santosh often assisted him in his business. Over time, Lakshmi had an affair with Tippesh and conceived, officers revealed. On learning of her pregnancy, Ningappa grew suspicious and forced her to undergo an abortion. Upset over this, and blaming her husband for depriving her of a chance to become a mother, Lakshmi plotted to kill Ningappa.According to the police, on January 18, 2024, Lakshmi and Tippesh lured Ningappa to Nalluru village in Channagiri under the pretext of a party. There, they got him drunk and took him to Bhadra Canal near Basavapura village and pushed him in.On January 22, Lakshmi filed a missing complaint at Channagiri police station. Investigators, however, did not suspect her initially as she had claimed that he came home drunk on January 18, and that they had fought.However, on January 30, Lakshmi went missing from her father’s house and a complaint was filed at Honnali police station. But there were no leads in the case.Story continues below this adSix months ago, Ravish K N took charge as Inspector at Channagiri police station. On going through pending cases, he found that another missing complaint, which appeared to be connected, was filed at Honnali police station.Chance conversation that proved crucialA police officer said that Santosh, who lived in Davanagere, was close to Tippesh. “Informants told us that Santosh was having an affair with a woman who lived next to Lakshmi’s house, and the two used to meet there. We took him into custody and during questioning, Santosh revealed that they had thrown him in the canal,” the officer said.However, the police ran into a dead end again as they were unable to track down Tippesh and Lakshmi – until they stumbled upon a major lead.One day, Rangappa, a Head Constable at Channagiri police station, was having a casual conversation with his friend at a tea stall and mentioned the challenge they faced in tracing Lakshmi. That was when his friend, who was a cab driver, revealed that he had met Lakshmi and Tippesh while working in Kochi, Kerala, over 600 km away. He had even shared his contact number so they could meet up whenever he travelled to the city.Story continues below this adActing quickly, the police sent a team to Kochi and confirmed the identities of Lakshmi and Tippesh before arresting them. During questioning, Lakshmi confessed that she killed her husband as he forced her to terminate her pregnancy.“We have arrested all three. They have been sent to judicial custody. Efforts are on to find Ningappa’s skeletal remains at least, but the chances are minuscule,” the officer said.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Karnataka Police