A shocking murder case has come to light in Gokak Falls of Belagavi district in Karnataka. A 23-year old woman was allegedly killed by her boyfriend after an argument over marriage.
Basappa Satannavar, 29 years old is accused of strangling his girlfriend Rakshita Sarikar on October 28 when they went for a visit to Gokak Falls and police investigated a missing-person complaint filed by the woman’s relatives after that incident.
Rakshita and Basappa were in relationship for about four years. Basappa had promised to marry her and couple have been in touch with each other throughout their relationship but there used to be differences whenever marriage came up. Rakshita wanted to take things further and was pressing for marriage whereas accused avoided it.
This disagreement became major cause of conflict between them. On October 28 Basappa took Rakshita to Gokak Falls so that they can discuss their relationship and marriage. She thought they would sort out their differences and took him to the popular tourist spot in Belagavi district but what was supposed to be a discussion turned into a violent fight.
Basappa allegedly hit Rakshita near ear and strangled her after which he disposed of her body in hilly area near Gokak Falls and fled from there. The incident went unnoticed till Rakshita's relatives started complaining about her disappearance.
On November 1 her family members approached police and filed a missing-person complaint saying she did not respond to calls after going to them. Police then launched an investigation to trace the missing woman and find out how she disappeared.
During probe police checked Rakshita's mobile phone call history and reportedly found that she used to talk frequently with Basappa. This led police to question accused. As the probe progressed, police reportedly took Basappa into custody for questioning and during interrogation he allegedly confessed to murder of Rakshita and told police about it. Police arrested him in connection with the case and produced him before court. He was remanded to judicial custody.
The accused is said to be an SSB personnel posted at 21st Battalion Bihar. His involvement in the murder has given another shocking dimension to the incident as he was serving in a security force while committing a serious crime.
Rakshita (resident of Harugeri village in Raibag taluk) was just 23 years old. Basappa belongs to Adalahatti village in Athani taluk Belagavi district. Shock among people of the region because they were in relationship for four years before the tragic incident happened. Gokak Falls scenic beauty and tourist attraction now a centre of criminal investigation too.
Gokak Town Police Station has registered a case and investigation is on to find out complete sequence of events, evidence and circumstances leading to alleged murder. Violence in intimate relationships again shows how serious it can be and why threats, coercion and abusive behaviour should not be taken lightly. A relationship that lasted four years reportedly ended in tragedy.
A young woman’s family grieves and hard questions are raised about how she died. Police investigations and legal proceedings will establish the facts (and prove criminal responsibility) of the accused.
Comments