Daijiworld Media Network – Mysuru
Mysuru, Apr 4: In a shocking turn of events, a man who had been serving a prison sentence for the alleged murder of his wife was left stunned when the ‘murdered’ woman appeared alive in court. The incident, which has exposed serious flaws in police investigation, took place at the Mysuru court recently.
The case dates back to 2020, when Suresh, a resident of Basavanahalli village in Kushalnagar taluk of Kodagu district, filed a missing complaint for his wife Mallige. However, a few days later, an unidentified woman's body was found near Bettadapura in Periyapatna. Police arrested Suresh, suspecting that he had murdered his wife and falsely reported her missing.
On this basis, Suresh was charged with murder and subsequently imprisoned for nearly two years. However, in a dramatic development, Mallige, presumed dead, appeared in person before the Mysuru court recently. Her unexpected appearance has led to serious questions about the integrity of the initial investigation.
The fifth additional district and sessions judge Gururaj Somakkal criticised the police, noting major lapses in the investigation. The court ordered Mysuru SP N Vishnuvardhan to reopen the case and submit a detailed report by April 17.
Despite the lack of concrete evidence, police had submitted a chargesheet in the murder case, which resulted in Suresh’s imprisonment. The court has now taken serious note of this miscarriage of justice and is re-examining the entire case.
The judge stated that although Suresh had committed no crime, he spent over a year and a half in judicial custody due to a flawed investigation. The court also highlighted that the charge sheet did not correspond with actual events and that the police had erred gravely.
It has been alleged that police pressured Suresh into accepting the identity of the unidentified woman as his wife. Moreover, it was revealed that Suresh's wife Mallige was portrayed as deceased based on the statements of her mother Gauri and son Krishna, who were involved in the original complaint and investigation.
With Mallige now present and very much alive, the case has taken a dramatic turn. The court has instructed SP Vishnuvardhan to record Mallige’s statement and investigate the circumstances behind her disappearance and reappearance.
Suresh's parents have demanded strict action against the police officers responsible for wrongfully imprisoning their innocent son. They have also sought appropriate compensation for the trauma and loss suffered by their family.