Padmapriya ‘suicide’: Setback for former Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat as SC sets aside HC order

News Network
September 18, 2017

Udupi, Sept 18: In a major setback to BJP leader and former Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat, the Supreme Court has set aside the 2014 order of the Karnataka High Court, which directed a trial court in Udupi to order further investigation against Athul Rao on charges of abetting Padmapriya, wife of Mr. Bhat, to commit suicide, adultery and enticing a married woman. Athul was a close friend of Padmapriya.

A Bench, comprising Justice Dipak Misra (as he then was) and Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, in its August 18, 2017 verdict, allowed Athul’s plea and set aside the High Court’s September 16, 2014 order.

Also, the Supreme Court directed the Udupi trial court to conclude within six months the trial of the case against Athul.

The police had filed charge sheet against Athul under Sections 417, 465, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code accusing him of cheating and forgery in connection with his actions of procuring several official documents, including the rent agreement for a flat in New Delhi, where Padmapriya allegedly committed suicide on June 14/15, 2008.

The charges were based on fraudulent information and false representations made by Athul to show that Padmapriya was his lawfully wedded wife. Athul’s claim was that he had only helped Padmapriya, “on her request,” to come out of her marital house.

Not satisfied with the charge sheet filed by the police in August 2008 and the supplementary charge sheet in July 2009, Mr. Bhat had filed a private complaint against Athul before a magistrate court in Udupi making allegations under Sections 497 (adultery), 498 (enticing or taking away or detaining with criminal intent a married woman) and 306 (abetment to suicide). The magistrate court had ordered a separate investigation based on Mr. Bhat’s complaint.

However, Athul moved the High Court challenging the probe ordered on Mr. Bhat’s complaint.

And the High Court quashed the investigation ordered by the magistrate but allowed Mr. Bhat to file an application seeking further investigation before the trial court, where the police had already filed the charge sheet against Athul. The High Court had asked the trial court to consider Mr. Bhat’s plea “in accordance with the law.”

The trial court, after hearing Mr. Bhat’s application, on August 7, 2014 rejected his plea for further investigation while observing that “investigation officer had probed the case from all angles in the context of allegations in the complaint” besides making it clear that additional charges could be framed against Athul if any evidence is revealed during trial.

This made Mr. Bhat to move High Court against rejection of his plea for further probe. The High Court, in its September 16, 2014 order, allowed Mr. Bhat’s petition and directed the trial court to order further investigation.

But Athul moved the Supreme Court, which on February 2, 2015 stayed the High Court’s order related to further investigation.

In its final order, the apex court held that the High Court “committed manifest error in interfering with the discretionary order passed by the trial court, which had rightly, giving proper reasons, rejected Mr. Bhat’s plea for further investigation.

Comments

Kalandar Manna…
 - 
Tuesday, 19 Sep 2017

Raghupathi Bhatta has to be punished, The law should be same for all.

Danish
 - 
Monday, 18 Sep 2017

Mr. Raguphathi bhat is innocent and the rest god knows.

Truth
 - 
Monday, 18 Sep 2017

Yeddyruappa also claimed innocence for his wife's death

Unknown
 - 
Monday, 18 Sep 2017

Will never get justice

Suresh
 - 
Monday, 18 Sep 2017

Nothing new in this?  Dirty law of India

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News Network
June 5,2020

Udupi, Jun 5: Senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha member Shobha Karandlje accused members of Tablighi Jamaat of spreading Coronavirus, particularly in slums, in Bengaluru.

Speaking to newsmen here Friday night, she said that the members had intentionally spread the virus in Siddique Layout and Padarayanapura. Members had hatched a conspiracy to destroy the country. She would raise the issue with the central government.

She said that New Delhi and Maharashtra were responsible for rising Covid-19 cases in the country. Highlighting the programmes, introduced by Modi-led NDA government for the past six years, she blamed Covid-19 for the collapse of the economy. But for Covid-19 Modi government at the Centre would have been a leader in the world,” she added.

She said 13,541 people, stranded in other States and foreign countries, had returned to Udupi. “We have sufficient beds in the district to tackle the situation. But if more people decide to travel to Udupi, arranging quarantine facilities would be a huge challenge,” she added.

Comments

samy
 - 
Saturday, 6 Jun 2020

Man politics is like a car, in which being stephine has more perks..

Abdullah
 - 
Saturday, 6 Jun 2020

See her how she looks like !

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News Network
March 23,2020

Mangaluru, Mar 23: As many as 600 people who arrived from foreign countries are under the surveillance of the district police in the Dakshina Kannada, as a measure to contain the spread of Covid-19, said Superintendent of Police B M Laxmi Prasad on Monday.

The police personnel are visiting their houses in Dakshina Kannada police jurisdiction. They have been asked to remain quarantined at home for 14 days."We have appealed to the local residents to tip the police if they violate the quarantine period,"he added.

Talking to newsmen here, he said that all the roads in border areas connecting Kerala had been closed, the police have strengthened security in border areas. Please log in to get detailed story.

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News Network
January 1,2020

Kalaburagi, Jan 1: Fighting penury and partial blindness in one eye, a 39-year-old part-time Kannada lecturer from Kalaburagi district is set to become a commercial tax officer after cracking the Karnataka Administrative Services.

Ambadas Kamble, from Kotana Hipparaga village in Aland taluk, had to take a three-year gap during his school and college years - one-year break after completing Class VII and two years to clear subjects after he failed in II PU examinations. During those three years, he joined his brothers in masonry work to supplement the family's income.

Sweeping aside all hurdles with grit and determination, Ambadas studied Kannada literature for both undergraduate and postgraduate to land the post of a part-time lecturer in a Kalaburagi college. His father died when he was a child, and mother Chandamma supported her family of six - besides, Ambadas, she has two sons and two daughters - by working in houses in the neighbourhood.

Ambadas said he would like to dedicate his success to his mother, who died in the year 2012. "My mother encouraged me to chase my dream - financial difficulties notwithstanding - and allowed me to spend time in the library when my siblings were busy doing menial jobs to fund my education. I'm grateful to my brothers too," he said.

His two brothers are working as masons in Mumbai, having quit studies midway and deciding to support Ambadas - the first in the family to complete graduation. He did high school at Tadkal village in Aland taluk, and college in Kalaburagi.

The lecturer, who's 40% blind in the right eye, cracked the KAS examinations in his third attempt and stood 706th in the state. He has been selected for first-grade officer's post. Alongside, he's doing PhD in Kannada literature.

When his efforts finally paid off, Ambadas landed four job offers: Hostel warden at Morarji Desai hostel, at an SC/ST hostel, post of a lecturer and the tax officer's post. He picked the fourth to serve the state in right earnest.

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