Udupi: Padmapriya Death - Raghupati Bhat Openly Claims Innocence
Sheeja Moodubelle
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, May 25: Four years after his wife Padmapriya was found dead under mysterious circumstances in New Delhi, Udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat on Friday May 25 came out in the open and claimed that he was innocent and had no role to play in her death.
In support of his stance, he produced copies of CoD report, FIR, post mortem report, forensic and DNA reports, death certificate and video and photographic details of the initial investigation by the police before the media.
Raghupati Bhat and deceased wife Padmapriya
It may be recalled that Padmapriya (32) had gone missing under mysterious circumstances on June 11, 2008 from her home here. Her car was found abandoned on Kunjargiri temple road near Katpadi two days later. On June 15, her body was found hanging from the roof of a flat in New Delhi.
On the 19th of that month, Bhat had filed a complaint in Manipal police station, accusing his one-time close associate, Atul Rao, of abetting Padmapriya’s suicide, and alleging that Atul had illicit relationship with his wife. The Manipal police had registered a case and had arrested Atul on June 23. He was later given bail and had also challenged Bhat's claim in the court. The case is still subjudice.
Speaking to the media, Bhat said, "I did not murder my wife, nor am I reponsible for her death. Her death is a big loss for me and for my family, especially for my kids. I was hurt when my personal life tragedy was dragged for political gains by the opposition. This happened four years back in 2008."
He futher said, "This is the first and last time I am coming before the media to give explaination on my wife's death."
"The opposition used to bring out advertisements and used to question me on the issue. They spoke badly about me in their speeches which brought doubt in the public mind. I am a public person so it is my responsibility to tell the people what actually happened. Hence I have forwarded all documents to the media," he said.
He also added that he and his family went to Dharmasthala on Monday May 21 and met Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade who instructed him swear before god of his innocence. Accordingly, he and his family prayed and with his mother as witness, he gave in writing that he had not killed his wife, and also swore before god about my innocence, he said.
"I cannot do more than this to prove my innocence. I have cent percent faith in the CoD and also in god," Bhat said, adding that if now anybody questions him again, be it the opposition or the public, god would look after him.
He also said that in the previous Lok Sabha elections, allegations had been hurled at him for not acquiring proper documents like death certificate and post mortem report. "I have all the documents and the evidences," he claimed, adding that the CoD had already filed a charge sheet against Atul which should lay all speculations against him to rest.
'Kids suffered most'
Bhat said that following his wife's death, it was his two sons who had suffered the most. "My sons' classmates in school used to tease them saying their father was a murderer. They couldn't even defend or explain themselves. One fine day they said they won't go to school again, and I have been trying to shift them to a new school," he said.
"This was the worst part that made me to come out in the open and say I am innocent," he asserted.
On one-time close associate Atul Rao, against whom Bhat had filed a private complaint alleging abetment in the suicide of his wife, Bhat said that he had believed and trusted Atul, but the latter had misused his friendship. "My wife also believed in him, and since he was our close friend, she went with him. I only believed in Atul but did not play any role in the death of my wife," he said.
He also rubbished claims that there his marriage with Padmapriya was in discord, and said that except for trivial differences, there was no major dispute between them nor any marital problems.
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