Bengaluru: Venkataswamy was apprehensive the crime might get exposed.
A member of a real estate mafia allegedly burnt to death his wife after she got wind of the gang's involvement in the killing of a 65-year-old man, whom it had used to 'usurp' land worth Rs 15 crore by impersonation, the police said on Friday.
Gang leader Ramesh, Venkataswamy, who killed his wife, and six others had been arrested, the police said adding a doctor, who allegedly gave a false death certificate as part of the conspiracy, was absconding.
According to the police, Ramesh had set his eyes on a 1.25 acre land in Belatthuru which did not have any claimant though government documents showed it belonged to Nanjappa.
The gang lured Krishnappa to pose as Nanjappa and using fake documents and identity proof executed a will bequeathing the property in favour of Ramesh.
After getting the will, they killed Krishnappa on September 15 by giving liquor laced with poison. Then they obtained a death certificate from the doctor in the name of Nanjappa, showing it as natural death.
Later, they burnt the body in a cremation ground.
Three days later, Venkatswamy allegedly set his wife on fire as she came to know about the gang's involvement in the killing of Krishnappa. He was apprehensive the crime might get exposed.
Venkatswamy had then told police that his wife committed suicide, but her parents lodged a complaint accusing their son-in-law of killing her.
After intense interrogation, Venkataswamy confessed to the crimes, leading to the arrest of him and others.