22-year-old nurse murdered in Karnataka's Haveri: Police debunk communal angle, probe underway

Police registered the case as that of an unidentified body and conducted a post-mortem. However, subsequent investigations confirmed that Swathi was murdered.

Published on: Mar 14, 2025, 19:23:40 IST

By HT News Desk

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The murder of a 22-year-old woman, Swathi Ramesh Badigere, from Karnataka's Masur village in Rattihalli Taluk, has sparked widespread discussions, with demands for justice flooding social media platforms.

22-year-old nurse murdered in Karnataka's Haveri.

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Swathi, who worked as a nurse at a hospital in Ranebennur, was reported missing at the Hirekerur police station on March 3. Three days later, on March 6, her body was found near the Tungabhadra River in Fatehpur village, located in Ranebennur Taluk of Haveri District.

Initially, the Halegari police registered the case as that of an unidentified body and conducted a post-mortem. However, subsequent investigations confirmed that Swathi had been murdered.

Her mother, Shashirekha, filed a missing complaint on March 7 after failing to locate her daughter. Upon being shown photographs of the recovered body, Swathi’s family positively identified her.

The incident soon took a controversial turn on social media, where various posts gave it a communal angle. The hashtag "Justice for Swathi" began trending, with many linking the case to religious tensions.

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However, Haveri Superintendent of Police (SP) Ansukumar dismissed these claims, clarifying that Swathi’s murder was not connected to any communal issue. He stated that the crime stemmed from personal reasons and assured that investigations were being carried out thoroughly.

The police have arrested a prime suspect, Nayaz, while efforts are underway to apprehend two more accused individuals. Investigations into the case are ongoing.

(With ANI inputs)

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