Wife, Lover Among 9 Held in E Army Man’s Insurance Murder
Wife, Lover Among 9 Held in E Army Man’s Insurance Murder Published By Last Updated: June 16, 2026, 15:45 IST A former Army serviceman’s death
Wife, Lover Among 9 Held in E Army Man’s Insurance Murder Published By Last Updated: June 16, 2026, 15:45 IST A former Army serviceman’s death, initially recorded as a heart attack, was allegedly a planned hospital murder involving his wife, lover and staff to claim Rs 2 crore insurance. Rapid Read From left to right: Lover Pundalik Dombar, wife Suma Manjargi and husband Sandeep Manjargi Police have arrested nine people, including a former Army serviceman’s wife and her alleged lover, for allegedly conspiring to kill him in hospital and pass off the death as a heart attack to claim insurance money worth nearly Rs 2 crore. Investigators alleged that Sandeep Manjargi was poisoned while undergoing treatment after a minor bike accident and that medical and forensic records were later manipulated to conceal the crime. According to police, Sandeep was involved in a minor bike-skid accident on March 13 and was admitted to Hukkeri Government Hospital. He was later shifted to JG Hospital in Ghataprabha by his wife, Suma Manjargi. On March 15, Sandeep was declared dead, with the cause of death recorded as a heart attack.
His body was sent to BIMS Hospital for post-mortem examination, and initial forensic reports stated that no poison was detected and that he had died due to cardiac arrest. However, investigators grew suspicious as Sandeep had not suffered serious injuries in the accident and was otherwise healthy. The case took a dramatic turn after Suma’s alleged lover, Pundalik Dombar, posted a social media status questioning how a person involved in an accident could suddenly die. Police said the post suggested he possessed inside knowledge of the case. Dombar was subsequently summoned for questioning, during which he allegedly disclosed details of the conspiracy, leading investigators to uncover what police described as a carefully planned murder plot. According to investigators, Dombar and Sandeep knew each other through a business association and had jointly started a hotel venture. During this period, Suma and Dombar allegedly developed an extramarital relationship. Investigators found that insurance policies worth nearly Rs 2 crore had been taken out in Sandeep’s name through three different companies. Police believe the murder was planned to enable the accused to claim the insurance amount. Police alleged that several hospital employees became part of the conspiracy while Sandeep was undergoing treatment.
Suma and Dombar allegedly administered poison through a saline bottle and also gave him sleeping pills during treatment. Authorities further alleged that an extensive cover-up followed the death. Medical and forensic records were allegedly altered, while hospital staff, laboratory personnel and government employees were accused of helping portray the death as a natural cardiac event. Investigators suspect the involvement of a wider network that allegedly facilitated hospital admission, procurement of poison and manipulation of forensic evidence. Police claimed that more than Rs 3 lakh was paid to influence forensic examinations and alter official findings. Police also alleged that several individuals, including forensic laboratory personnel, were enlisted to suppress evidence and ensure that toxic substances did not appear in post-mortem and forensic reports. During the investigation, officers seized suspected poison containers, syringes, mobile phones and other incriminating materials. The arrested accused have been identified as Suma Manjargi, Pundalik Dombar, RMP doctor Basavaraj Bhasme, FDA official Ashok Gujanal, FSL clerk Appasaheb Naik, laboratory assistant Channayya Adiviswamimath, Senior Scientific Officer PN Nagaraj, and Dombar’s associates Sachin Selar and Rahul Jogi. The development comes after a similar case in Telangana’s Kamareddy district, where police alleged that a man’s murder was staged as a road accident.
The BriefWire