BENGALURU: When 30-year-old Ramanji left his Chintamani home on June 19, his family believed he was finally heading towards the career and life he had long dreamed of — that of a teacher in London. Four days later, he was found dead in a village well, his body weighed down with stones.Ramanji, a double-degree holder with MSc in agriculture, had been working as a lecturer in a reputable private institution in Bengaluru. But he had set his sights on a future abroad and confided this to his friend Sudhakar, an employee at a finance firm in Chintamani.One day, Sudhakar claimed he had the right contacts to land Ramanji a job in London. In the weeks that followed, Ramanji resigned from his position and began preparing his travel documents, transferring around Rs 15 lakh to Sudhakar to cover his visa and recruitment expenses.On June 19, Sudhakar arrived at Ramanji’s home in G Ramapura village, saying the journey was finally about to begin. The family saw him off, unaware it would be their final goodbye.But by June 23, panic had spread in the nearby Kempadenahalli village when locals found a decomposed body floating in a well owned by a man named Veeranna. The corpse had been weighed down with stones.Chintamani police launched an investigation and circulated images of the clothing and belongings on social media in an effort to identify the victim. Suspecting the worst, Ramanji’s brother Viswanath approached police. He identified the clothes, confirming it was indeed his brother.Taken into custody soon after, Sudhakar confessed to the crime. Police said he had been unable to repay the money and, under mounting pressure from Ramanji, decided to kill him. With help from his brother Manoj and an associate named Manjunath, he smothered Ramanji to death inside a Thar vehicle. The trio then burnt his belongings, including his passport and phone, before disposing of the body. “All three accused have been arrested,” confirmed Chikkaballapur superintendent of police Kushal Chouske, adding that Sudhakar and Ramanji were close friends. “The betrayal was as calculated as it was cold.“
