DHARWAD
In Dharwad and Hubballi, police have solved the brutal murder of a 39-year-old Tibetan-origin Buddhist monk, Tashi Daundup, whose body was found near the Haliyal underpass on the Dharwad bypass on April 29. Investigators said he was kidnapped from Kolhapur in Maharashtra by three men who suspected he was carrying cash.
The accused allegedly kept him inside a car and demanded money, but when he could not pay, they assaulted him and killed him. After the murder, they dumped the body near the underpass and fled the scene. Police said the accused removed the vehicle number plate to avoid detection. A key breakthrough came when CCTV footage showed them stopping at a fuel station to get LPG during the transport. Based on this evidence, police identified and arrested three accused Sanket Yadav, Vaibhav Chauhan, and Siddhesh Bhosale. Officials said all three are daily wage labourers and are now in judicial custody.
Eight police teams under SP Gunjan Arya and CPI Shivanand Kamatgi took part in the investigation. Police are still searching for the missing vehicle and two more suspects. Investigators say further details will emerge as the probe continues. The case has shocked both Karnataka and Maharashtra, as the victim was a religious monk with no known enmity. Police said they are also checking if more people were involved in planning the crime or helping the accused.
