Belagavi, June 16 -- A chilling murder conspiracy that reads like a crime thriller has come to light in Belagavi district, where a retired Army man was allegedly poisoned to death for a Rs 2 crore insurance payout. What has made the case even more shocking is the revelation that officials linked to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) allegedly tampered with scientific evidence to portray the murder as a natural death.

The victim, former serviceman Sandeep Manjargi of Ghodageri village in Hukkeri taluk, had served in the Indian Army for 17 years before returning to his native village. Police investigations have revealed that his wife Suma and her alleged lover Pundalik Dongar hatched a meticulous plan to eliminate him and claim insuranc...