The Kora police have stepped up the investigation into the triple murder reported at Kunchangi village on the outskirts of Tumakuru on Thursday.
Passersby noticed a burnt car in an isolated place and alerted the police. The police rushed to the spot and found three charred bodies in the back seat and in the boot space of the car.
The police, with the help of the car registration number, ascertained the identity of the deceased as Sahul, 45, Istiyaq, 56, and Imtiyaz of Belthangady, Dakshina Kannada.
The police suspect the victims were tortured and killed by the assailants before they set fire to the car. The police are now gathering the CCTV footage to ascertain the identity of the assailants.
According to the police, the victims had borrowed the car from a friend and had come to Tumakuru to meet people to discuss a hidden treasure. The police suspect the accused had killed them after a failed extortion. The police said they had vital clues about the assailants and efforts were on to track them down.
