Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (MS)
Kundapur, Aug 23: A marital dispute over the wife's addiction to making reel videos ended in tragedy, with the husband allegedly killing her at Karkada near Saligrama on Friday, just eight months after their marriage.
The deceased, Jayashree (31), a native of Donagapura in Bidar, was married to Kiran Upadhya (44), an assistant cook in temples and a resident of Gundmi, Sastan.
Jayashree was reportedly addicted to making reel videos, often featuring herself or sometimes with her husband, and sharing them on social media. Despite the seemingly happy and cordial appearance in these videos, the couple's relationship was strained. Jayashree was also reportedly addicted to online shopping, spending thousands of rupees, which further fuelled tensions. She frequently demanded a big house, a luxury car, and large sums of money from her husband, leading to frequent arguments.
Jayashree, who belonged to the Panchamasali community in Bidar, came from a family of temple priests. She was previously married to a man from Mangaluru, who had since passed away.
After marrying Kiran, the couple moved out of their respective homes within two months and began living in a rented house owned by an acquaintance in Karkada. It is said that they often quarrelled over gold and money. On Thursday night, a heated argument ensued, during which Kiran allegedly assaulted Jayashree with a sickle.
The landlord, who lives on the ground floor, was out of town in Mangaluru at the time of the incident, leaving the crime unnoticed. After the murder, Kiran reportedly attempted to move Jayashree’s body and initially planned to bury it in a cow dung pit. However, he later called friends and relatives, claiming that his wife had slipped and fallen from the first floor and was unresponsive. Suspicious, they urged him to take her to a hospital. At around 5:30 a.m., Kiran called a Jeevan Mitra ambulance and transported Jayashree’s body to a government hospital in Udupi, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Upon returning from the hospital, Kiran allegedly tried to clean the bloodstains in the house, but locals, who had grown suspicious, informed the police. The police arrived at the scene, took Kiran into custody, and initiated an investigation.
Udupi Additional SP S T Siddalingappa, DySP D T Prabhu, Brahmavar circle inspector Divakara, and other police personnel visited the scene to conduct an inspection. The police said that Jayashree’s relatives are expected to arrive in Kota on Saturday, after which her mortal remains will be handed over to them.
Locals reported that Kiran had premeditated the murder, purchasing a new sickle from a local market on Thursday evening. He had also reportedly spoken ill of his wife to relatives and friends before the incident.