Woman kills businessman husband for Rs 8 crore, burns body with lover 800km away. How a Mercedes got them caught

The man's body was found 800 km away in Kodagu. (Representational)

A burnt, unidentified body discovered three weeks ago in Karnataka’s Kodagu district has unravelled a macabre murder conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by the wife of a Hyderabad businessman, her lover, and an accomplice.

The victim, identified as 54-year-old businessman Ramesh, was reported missing weeks earlier, with his wife, Niharika P, filing a complaint. However, as investigators delved deeper, they unearthed a grisly plot for his wealth, leading to the arrest of Niharika, her lover, Dr. Nikhil, and an associate, Ankur, NDTV reported.

On October 8, Kodagu police were alerted to a charred body abandoned on a coffee plantation near Suntikoppa. Initial attempts to identify the body proved futile, leading investigators to rely on nearby surveillance footage. The breakthrough came when they noticed a red Mercedes-Benz in the area’s CCTV footage, a vehicle registered under Ramesh’s name. Given that Niharika had reported her husband missing, the car became the focal point of the investigation.

Reaching out to Telangana police, authorities connected the dots and detained Niharika for questioning. Under pressure, she reportedly confessed to her involvement, identifying her lover, Nikhil, and accomplice Ankur as co-conspirators in the murder plot.

A bright student, Niharika pursued an engineering career and married early. After a failed marriage, she was involved in a financial fraud case in Haryana, where she met Ankur while in jail, NDTV reports.

After her release, Niharika married Ramesh, who provided her with a luxurious lifestyle. However, she allegedly grew frustrated when Ramesh refused to give her Rs 8 crore—a demand that, when unmet, triggered the deadly scheme. Niharika reportedly conspired with Nikhil and Ankur to claim Ramesh’s wealth, leading to his murder on October 1.

Ramesh was allegedly strangled in Uppal, Hyderabad, police say. The trio reportedly took cash from his residence, then transported his body over 800 km to Kodagu. They set the corpse ablaze on a secluded coffee estate, hoping to erase any trace of their involvement, before returning to Hyderabad, where Niharika filed the missing person report.

With all the evidence was destroyed, CCTV footage from hundreds of cameras provided the police the needed breakthrough. All three suspects have been arrested.