Mangalore: 'Accidental' Death of Man - Wife, Family Allege Murder

Pics: Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (BG)

Mangalore, Aug 11: The family of Harishchandra Acharya, who had died after accidentally falling into a well in June this year, has now openly alleged that his death was not accidental but a planned murder.

Addressing a press meet here on Saturday August 11, Harishchandra's wife Deepa explained that she had married her husband three years ago, and the couple had two children. Deepa is pregnant with their third child. They lived in a joint family with Harishchandra's parents, brothers and a sister.

On June 24 at around 11.45 pm, Harishchandra came home, played with the children and went to bed after having dinner with the family. He used to carry two mobile phones, one for general calls which others in the family also used at times, and another for personal calls, which he never allowed anyone, including his wife, to touch.

At around 3 am, he received a call from an unknown person on his personal cell phone and walked out of the house talking to the person on the other end of the line. However, he never returned home.

After 4.30 am, he got a call on his other phone, but as Deepa was sound asleep, she did not hear it ring. At around 5.15 it rang again, and this time Deepa answered the call, which was from her uncle Damodar Acharya.

Damodar told her that a body had been found in the neighbourhood well and asked if Harishchandra was home. Deepa panicked as Harish was nowhere to be seen. His family did not find him in the premises, and then rushed to the well. The body was sunk in the well, with only the feet being visible. It was tied with a rope. On retrieving the body, it was found to be Harishchandra. The body was shifted to hospital and a case of unnatural death was registered by the police.

Deepa has now alleged that her husband had an affair with their neighbour Vidya for almost a year. Vidya used to ring up Harishchandra frequently at night. When Deepa raised objection to his, her husband would allegedly mentally and physically torture her.

A oral complaint of assault was also given to the Sampya police station against him by his own brothers. Police inspector had also warned Harishchandra and from then on, the couple lived in peace.

Deepa, during the press meet, raised several points that she claimed pointed at murder. Some of them are:

- How did Damodar, who called her up at 4:30 am first, know that her husband had fallen into the well? Was he awake at that moment?

- As the body was found upside down, how could Damodar make out that the body was of Harishchandra?

- There were marks of blood clots from the cheek to the neck. The body had a rope tied to its waist and the other end was tied to a pole outside the well. Post mortem reports have stated that the body had no water in the stomach. If it was a case of drowning as stated in the media, why was there no water in the stomach?

- Harish knew swimming, and even had a rope to save himself. He had no major problems that would lead him to suicide. Who was that unknown person who called him at the odd hour of 3 am?

- Harish had a gold ring on his ring finger, but it was missing on the body. Also, his personnel cell was not found. The gold ornaments that Vidya possesed were said to be given by Harishchandra himself. Vidya reportedly has a boyfriend from Vittal, and that person was said to be spotted in their house that day.

Deepa alleged that Sampya police took her brothers-in-law's signatures filed a report opposite to what was stated by them. "Police have not taken any further statement from me either," she said.

The details and complaints related to the case have been submitted to the SP, the ASP of Puttur and the police commissioner of Mangalore.

Deepa said that as the police and the authorities had failed to address her concerns, she approached the media for help.

Devappa B, BJP SC Morcha former secretary, Puttur, Nagaraj, Harishchandra’s brother, Swarnalatha, district president, CITU, Kishore Kumar, Harishchandra’s brother-in-law were present.