A 29-year-old woman has been murdered in Yellapur taluk of Uttara Kannada on Saturday, police said, adding the prime accused was found dead on Sunday in a suspected case of suicide.
The body of the accused, a 30-year-old resident of Kalammanagar in Yellapur who had been on the run since the killing of Ranjitha Bhanasode, was found hanging from a tree in the Ramapur forest area on Sunday morning, police said.
Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police Deepan N said the sequence of events had become clear during the investigation. “Ranjitha’s sister Akshatha Mallappa Banasode had filed a complaint on Saturday. Ranjitha was married to Sachina Katera around 12 years ago and has a 10-year-old son. Due to marital disputes, she lived separately for about 4 to 5 years and was later divorced,” he said.
According to the police, Ranjitha worked as a kitchen helper at Rampur Government School and was acquainted with the accused from her school days. “He was her classmate and frequently visited her house. They were in regular contact over the phone. When he proposed marriage, Ranjitha refused and stopped communicating with him,” the superintendent said.
Police said the rejection allegedly led to anger and resentment and the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when Ranjitha was returning home from her workplace.
{{/usCountry}}Police said the rejection allegedly led to anger and resentment and the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when Ranjitha was returning home from her workplace.
{{/usCountry}}“Out of anger and hatred, he waylaid Ranjitha while she was returning home after work and slit her throat with a sharp weapon,” Deepan said.
Relatives and neighbours rushed Ranjitha to a hospital, and she was later shifted to KIMS Hospital in Hubballi for advanced treatment. “Despite medical efforts, she succumbed to her injuries,” the superintendent said. He said the accused had been booked on Saturday under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder. “Today, after his death, we have registered an Unnatural Death Report,” he added.
The killing sparked protests in Yellapur, with several Hindutva organisations alleging a breakdown of law and order. Sri Rama Sena founder Pramod Muthalik expressed anger over the incident, describing it as a brutal killing of a Hindu woman and demanding strict action. A bandh was called in Yellapur on Sunday as part of the protests.
In view of the situation, police have deployed additional forces and imposed tight security arrangements in and around Yellapur.
Ranjitha’s brother Veerabhadra alleged that the accused had repeatedly pressured his sister to marry him. “She had clearly told him that marriage was not possible, but he continued to harass her. He committed the crime in broad daylight,” he said.
BJP state president B Y Vijayendra, who attended Ranjitha’s funeral, demanded ₹50 lakh in compensation and two acres of land for the bereaved family.
He also announced an immediate assistance of ₹5 lakh on behalf of the party.