Life Imprisonment for Man in Wife's Murder Case in Belthangady

Third Additional District and Sessions Court Judge, Sandhya S, sentenced 64-year-old Raja to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife, Kamala, 57. The incident occurred on September 6, 2022, at a shed where they were living in Koyyur village, Belthangady taluk. Raja, a habitual drinker, strangled Kamala after an argument, which began at 5:30 pm and escalated into violence by 8 pm. Following the murder, Raja fabricated evidence to make it appear as a suicide.

Raja and Kamala had relocated to Koyyur for work as rubber tappers at Dharnappa Gowda’s estate. Despite providing them with a job and accommodation, Raja’s daily alcohol-fueled quarrels with Kamala led to the tragic outcome. Initially, the Belthangady police treated the case as an unnatural death, but an autopsy conducted by Dr. Varsha A Shetty revealed that Kamala had been strangled, not suicided. As a result, the case was reclassified as murder under IPC Section 302 on September 10, 2022.

Public prosecutor B Mohan Kumar noted that despite a lack of eyewitnesses, medical evidence proved critical in securing a conviction. Sub-inspector Nanda Kumar MM led the initial investigation, while Inspector Shiva Kumar B submitted the chargesheet. In addition to the life sentence, Raja was fined Rs 15,000. The court also ordered the District Legal Services Authority to provide compensation to Kamala’s three children.

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