Beltangady: Married woman murdered in lodge, accused held

Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Mar 3: A married woman was found murdered in a lodge at Ujire near here on Saturday March 1. The suspect, a man who had hired the lodge room with her introducing her as his wife, has been arrested.

A man and woman, claiming to be couple, had hired a room in a lodge in Ujire on Saturday afternoon. Later it transpired that Bhagirathi alias Bhagya (35), was a married woman from Chikmagalur, and that her husband was not Balu M Kallalli (21), who accompanied her to the lodge. The murder-accused, Balu (21) alias Balappa, working as home guard in Chikmagalur sub-jail, was arrested by the police within a few hours of the crime.

The accused reportedly told the police that after they slept together at the room, he grew suspicious of the lady’s loyalties, after overhearing her conversing over phone with someone in Telugu later. He questioned her, and soon the verbal altercation turned into major quarrel. Balu murdered Bhagya by tightening his hands around her neck and holding her tight till she collapsed, it is learnt.

After murder, the accused deposited the bare body of the deceased woman in the bathroom of the lodge room, and fled in his motor bike. He discarded his cell phone near Nidgal Bridge while so fleeing. However, the local police, acting swiftly, and with the cooperation of their counterparts from Chikmagalur, succeeded in taking him into custody within a short time.

Balu confessed to the police that he is unmarried, and has been pursuing his degree through the university’s distance education programme, besides serving as home guard at Chikmagalur prison. Bhagirathi, who is married, lives with her kids, but her husband does not live with her. Balu and Bhagya came to know each other about six months back, and both had come to Ujire to make merry, it is learnt.

Deputy superintendent of police, Rashmi, police circle inspector, Lingappa Poojary, and sub-inspector, Prakash Devadiga, along with some others were in the police team that acted swiftly to arrest the murder accused.