Mangalore: Woman's body found in kitchen - Murder suspected

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Feb 26: The body of a married woman was found lying in the kitchen of her parental home in Kallakatta of Talipady village near Mulky on Tuesday February 25. The body was lying face up, and the neck bore tell-tale marks of a rope having been tightened around it.

Mallika Anchan (23), lived at the home of her parents, Dejappa Poojary and Janaki Anchan in Kallakatta with her four-month-old son after her delivery. Her husband’s family lives in Aikala near Mulky, while her husband works in a foreign country. It is learnt that her husband, Sudhakar Poojary, son of Vishwanath Poojary from Mudody House in Aikala Kambala, had visited her after her delivery recently. Mallika, who had married two years ago, was the younger daughter of Dejappa, and this was her first delivery.

Mallika's parents were away from home to visit Kinnigoli panchayat office for registering the name of Mallika's son, Shashwat, in the birth register there, when this untoward incident occurred. Mallika’s grandmother, who lives in the adjacent house, visited Mallika’s home as was her routine, to have tea after a gap of around an hour. On seeing lifeless body of her granddaughter, the old woman raised an alarm. Mallika was rushed to a hospital at KInnigoli with the help of some neighbours, but the doctors pronounced her brought dead.

Although the complaint filed with the police shows it as a case of suicide, the fact that the neck of Mallika bears the imprint of a some object has given rise to the suspicion that she would have been murdered. The rope however, was missing from the site. The family members are insistent that Mallika was happy and she had no reasons to develop any frustration towards life. She had also not expressed herself about problems if any she had faced at the home of her in-laws, it is said. As the family members are unable to pinpoint possible perpetrators of this crime, a detailed police investigation based on circumstantial evidence can alone bring out the truth, feel the locals.

In consultation with higher police officers, the body of Mallika has been kept at a mortuary in the city.  Post mortem has been planned for Wednesday at Wenlock Hospital here. A case stands registered in Mulky police station. Deputy commissioner of police (crime), Vishnuvardhan, and Panambur assistant commissioner of police, Ravi Kumar, visited the spot and guided the investigating officials to get the post mortem conducted in the presence of the tahsildar.

Some police from Mulky station said investigation of cases is getting delayed because of their dependence on police officers from Mangalore, as Mulky circle inspector is on leave on account of his marriage, and a replacement is yet to be provided in place of sub-inspector, Somayya, who retired in January. Although crime branch circle inspector, Valentine D'Souza, has been given additional charge of this police station, he rarely finds time to attend work here because of pressure of his other work, they rued.