Udupi: Fifteen years after the disappearance and suicide of Padmapriya, wife of former Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat, Atul Rao has been acquitted. The Second Additional District Court delivered its judgment on Wednesday.
Atul Rao faced charges of cheating, fraud, and creating forged documents. The case dates back to June 10, 2008, when Padmapriya went missing from her home in Karambali. Atul Rao, a childhood friend of Bhat, was accused of fabricating a fake document related to the case. The Manipal police station registered the case on June 19, 2008.
After thorough investigation, the COD officials filed a charge sheet against Atul Rao in court. In November 2023, the Udupi CJM court sentenced him to one year of imprisonment. However, Atul appealed to the District Court.
Recently, Second Additional District Court Judge Dinesh Hegde ordered Atul’s acquittal. Advocates Arun Bangera and Steven Lewis represented the accused during the proceedings.