A tragic turn has been taken in the case of a 21-year-old woman’s death at a lodge in Doddaballapur, Karnataka. Her husband, Anand, who is now one of the suspects in her death, was also found dead on Friday, his body hung from a tree near a lake in Mudigere village of Gauribidanur taluk, which police believe to be his hometown.
The development comes just three days after Anand’s wife Vidya died in a lodge in Doddaballapur. Vidya, a resident of Nagargele in Gauribidanur taluk, married Anand after a long-term relationship between them. The couple had a young daughter and had been living in a rented house in Gandhinagar, Doddaballapur. The sudden deaths of husband and wife have shocked both families and local people.
Police officials said that CCTV footage from the lodge has become a crucial part of the investigation. They said Vidya and Anand arrived at the lodge on the morning of September 15 in the same room with each other. But Anand was seen leaving the lodge alone after some time, police said. Police said he had taken Vidya’s mobile phone with him before locking the room and leaving the lodge. He subsequently travelled directly to Mudigere, Doddaballapur town police inspector Muthuraj said.
Vidya’s body was later found inside the locked lodge room. Police reportedly saw injury marks around her neck and thought she could have been strangled. Investigators are examining whether a tag that was applied for the company identification card may have been used to suffocate her. But authorities have said the cause and circumstances of her death will be determined in the post-mortem examination and after an extensive investigation.
Anand’s death has also added a whole new layer of complexity to the case. He was found hanging from a tree near a lake in Mudigere village on Friday. Now investigators will have to establish the circumstances surrounding his death and how it is connected to the earlier death of his wife. His death means that forensic evidence, CCTV footage, phone records and statements from people associated with the couple will have to be considered given all the evidence of the lodge incident.
District Superintendent of Police M.V. Chandrakant, who went to the scene after Vidya’s death, said that the injury marks on her neck had raised suspicion of a possible murder. He said the post-mortem report and further investigation would shed some light on what actually happened inside the lodge room. Police will weigh all evidence before concluding about Vidya’s death.
The couple’s relationship and family situation are also likely to be the focus of the investigation. They had fallen in love and married, and they had a daughter living in Doddaballapur. Investigators will consider their recent movements, communications and any possible disputes or developments before the lodge visit.
Now that Anand is also dead, investigators will have to reconstruct the sequence of events from the evidence at hand. CCTV recordings, forensic findings, the post-mortem report, mobile phone information and witness statements could all be crucial to understanding what happened to Vidya and what caused Anand’s death. Police are not yet able to find a final answer for either death, and the investigation is still ongoing.
