Soraba, in the Shivamogga district, endures a chilling turn after a local BJP leader who is reported to have participated in the suicide of his wife gets arrested. Local allegations of domestic harassment as well as abuse also emerged, raising concerns about domestic abuse.
Last Sunday, Manjula, a 38-year-old woman, was found hanging from a rope at her home in the Kanukeri locality of the town of Soraba. Manjula was originally from Hosaveerapura village in Hirekerur taluk, who is married to her husband and has been in residence with him in Soraba.
After the complaint filed by Manjula’s family, the police arrested her husband, Prabhu Mestri, a BJP party leader and an ex-president of the Soraba Town Municipal Council. He was arrested at Soraba Police Station, produced in court, and ordered to be in judicial custody.
As the claims from Manjula’s family members put it, they did not find her to be dead by suicide, but through non-stop aggressive behaviour by her husband. Before she made the decisive choice, they claimed Prabhu Mestri had mentally tortured her. Family members also said Mestri married Manjula as his second wife in 2021.
Since getting married, he purportedly has had a relationship with another woman. Thereafter, after mediation and local panchayat intervention to try to put an end to the conflict of the alleged relationship, it is still causing tension in the household. The cases are said to have had a traumatic effect on Manjula, and she has repeatedly suffered emotional abuse and harassment. Her family said she struggled with the incident and continued to be tormented at the hands of her husband.
When Manjula died, her mom filed a formal complaint against Prabhu Mestri amid allegations of abetment and harassment. A case was registered in the complaint-level jurisdiction, and the incident and its circumstances were reported to the police. Officials have begun canvassing evidence, including statements from relatives, neighbours, and others who might have known of the couple’s relationship.
Investigators are also investigating previous complaints or arguments that indicate harassment. The case is handled with seriousness and “every possible avenue is being considered," police officials said. They guaranteed that whatever investigation or evidence had been submitted would determine the precise cause of death and degree of crime.
Prabhu Mestri is an ex-politician with a hardware business and was a public figure in the past, but now he is in judicial custody. His arrest sent shivers through the town, as he was a familiar character. It shows that domestic issues are still a concern for people, and harassment of family members should be addressed. The authorities said people who have experienced similar situations should contact a specialist before they become tragedies.
