The Siddapura Vasanth Naik murder case, involving sensational developments related to the scandal; investigative details also have been disclosed about the financial and personal relationship between the prime defendant, Suchitra, and popular television astrologer Kamalakara Bhat. It was during the first interaction, the report says, that Bhat allegedly gave Suchitra ₹35,000, ushering in a controversial pact that ultimately ended in a deadly crime.
The investigation of the murder of Vasanth Naik that killed him in Siddapura (Uttara Kannada) when he was attempting to save his brother has been turned towards the link between Suchitra and Kamalakara Bhat. This initial meeting and the ₹35,000 Payment. Suchitra first encountered Kamalakara Bhat in Bengaluru, according to police sources, asking for astrological advice on her family’s future.
Notably it was revealed that during this first interaction Bhat was so fascinated or affected by it that he gave Suchitra ₹35,000 cash. Investigators consider this payment, much more than “charity” or “loan,” the basic step of an illicit relationship. Over the course of the years this relationship turned into an apparently premeditated plot to assassinate Suchitra’s husband, Mahesh Naik, who began to question her regular relations with the astrologer.
Recap of the Crime
The tragedy unfolded the night of February 2, 2023 when Suchitra and her father Lokanath, Kamalakara Bhat, as well as some of their henchmen went to Mahesh Naik’s Avaraguppa home. The group, armed with knives, assaulted Mahesh. When his brother Vasanth Naik came to his rescue, he was fatally stabbed.
Key Investigative Findings
- The Daughter's Role: There was a turning point in the case when Suchitra’s elder daughter contacted her father, Mahesh, alleging harassment and torture at the hands of her mother. This resulted in a police complaint several hours prior to the murder.
- Police Negligence: Following allegations that the attackers were ‘negligently’ deterring an attack despite this previously alleged threat, certain officers, the ASI is one of them, while another constable at the Siddapura station is being reassigned to another station.
- Public Outrage: Villagers in Siddapura were filmed in viral videos assaulting the accused before their arrest in the wake of the arrests. The family of the victim is refusing government aid and wants ₹1 crore in compensation directly from the accused.
Who is Kamalakara Bhat?
Bhat claims to have gained fame as a television astrologer after spending a brief stint in Kerala, where he allegedly mastered the occult and “Vashikaran.” He is in judicial custody, like Suchitra and five others.
