A 23-year-old woman was found dead in a lodge in Doddaballapura, Karnataka, in an incident that took place last week in which her husband has allegedly gone absconding. Police were investigating the cause of her death.
Police were looking into CCTV footage of the lodge where she died, the couple’s history over the past few years, and other evidence gathered from inside the lodge.
The deceased woman has been identified as Vidya, who lives in Nagaragere village in Gauribidanur taluk. Her husband, Anand, is reportedly from Mudugere village. Vidya and Anand married for love over four years ago, and they had been living in a rented house in Gandhinagar, Doddaballapura.
Police sources said the couple had been in a state of marital trouble for around six months. Their relationship got worse after Vidya left her husband around two months ago and moved into a paying guest accommodation in Bengaluru.
After her departure, Anand made a call to the Doddaballapura Women’s Police Station and filed a missing-person complaint. Police found Vidya. The couple were counselled some 20 days ago, and Vidya came back to live with Anand.
The situation changed on Wednesday night when Anand allegedly took Vidya to SGS Lodge, which is located above Samruddhi Hotel in Doddaballapura. CCTV footage reportedly showed the couple entering a room together at 11:48 p.m. The footage is critical as police work to establish a timeline of events.
According to reports, Anand had left the lodge alone at approximately 1 a.m., and the room was locked. Lodge staff did not immediately suspect anything unusual because the room had been occupied and the couple's belongings were believed to be inside.
Concern reportedly arose after about 24 hours when lodge staff tried to contact Anand. His mobile phone was switched off, and the staff contacted the police. Officers then approached the lodge and examined the room.
Police found Vidya dead in the room during the inspection. The authorities are investigating her death and have already filed a case at Doddaballapura Town Police Station. Police are also looking at any available evidence, including CCTV footage and other material from the lodge, to begin to recreate the events leading up to the incident.
Right now, Anand is absconding, and police are searching for him. The investigation is now very much about his possible disappearance, as well as the motive and the reason behind the couple’s stay in the lodge.
The marital dispute history is being studied by investigators. But the exact motive has not been officially established, and the allegations against Anand are under investigation. Police will need to establish the sequence of events and gather evidence before drawing conclusions about responsibility.
A 23-year-old woman was allegedly strangled to death by her husband at a lodge in Doddaballapura, reportedly using an ID card tag.
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The accused allegedly fled the lodge with the victim’s mobile phone.
The deceased has been identified as Vidya, a resident of Nagaragere village in… pic.twitter.com/QvEFw5VcSC
The case has also demonstrated the importance of timely intervention in situations involving serious domestic disputes. Although police had counselled the couple after Vidya had been traced, investigators are now examining the events after they reunited.
At the same time, police are expected to collect more evidence from CCTV and question people at the lodge and the couple to get information about the case. Anand is currently reported to be absconding, and the search for him is ongoing, while the investigation into the cause of Vidya’s death is also ongoing.
