Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Aug 19: Ravikumar (33) from Gendehalli in Belur taluk of Hassan district, who killed his wife Gayatri (23) from Tarikere on April 2, 2002 in a lodge in Udupi, has been sentenced to life by the district and sessions court here. He also has been fined Rs 5,000, with the condition that failing payment of the fine, he will have to undergo additional six months of imprisonment.

Within months of marrying Gayatri on June 17, 2001, Ravikumar had started doubting her character. He used to physically and mentally torture her. Under the guise of taking her on a pilgrimage of holy places in the coast, he came here with her, booked a room in a lodge on April 2, 2002 by providing false address and killed his wife by asphyxiating her, by tightening the veil of her churidar around her neck in the bath room. He left the lodge, never to return again. The lodge employees came to know about the murder, only after they sensed bad odour emanating from the room on April 4.

Even though the then circle inspector of police Sanjeev Naik filed a 'C' report in this regard, treating the case to be 'undetectable', the policemen could zero in on the killer, on the basis of information provided to them by the brother of Gayatri.  When the policemen questioned the accused, he confessed to the crime on July 25, 2005. The accused is already undergoing a four-year imprisonment relating to a case of assault in Mysore Jail.