A few days ago, a 35-year-old farmer was found dead in his field, allegedly after being attacked by a wild bear in Amte village of Belagavi district. But police investigation has revealed that he was murdered by a group of five, who then tried to put the blame on a wild animal.
Tanaji Naik, was allegedly killed by Devidas Gaonkar, Santosh Gaonkar, Vithal Naik, Rama Naik, and Prashant Sutar over an old dispute. They shot him and then tried to create jaw and nail marks of a wild bear on his body. They also spread the rumour that a wild bear had killed him. Initially, the victim’s wife, Tejaswini, told the police that he had been attacked by a wild bear. But after a few days, she expressed suspicion that he had been murdered and complained to the police.
The autopsy reports and a site visit made it clear that the crime had indeed been a human act. Police officers traced mobile phone activity and studied the background of the persons involved to identify the accused. They were arrested on Monday and produced in court.
