Channagiri police have detained five suspects, including three family members, for their alleged involvement in the murder of 55-year-old Gopanal Siddalingappa. Those arrested include Shivamurtheppa, his son Satish, daughter-in-law Sujata, and hired killers Lingadahalli Prabhu and Nituvalli Prashant Naik. All have been remanded to judicial custody.
Siddalingappa, hailing from Gopanal village in Davanagere taluk, was found dead in the Bhadra canal near Nallur village on November 23. Initially suspected to be linked to the suicide of his daughter-in-law, Doddamma, police investigations uncovered a murder motivated by a family property dispute.
According to SP Uma Prashant, the contract killers lured Siddalingappa on the pretext of seeking his advice for borewell identification. They took him to a remote area near Honnebagilu, where he was strangled with a towel. The body was later weighted with a stone and dumped in the canal.
Satish had reportedly hired the killers for ₹1 lakh, paying an advance and later transferring ₹10,000 after receiving a photo of the murder via WhatsApp. The prolonged court battle over property between Siddalingappa and Shivamurtheppa allegedly drove the latter’s family to orchestrate the crime.
The case highlights the tragic consequences of unresolved disputes and has left the community in shock.