`Murdered' woman returns home; four accused still in jail
Mandsaur, Mar 21 (PTI): A woman believed to have been murdered sometime in September 2023 returned safe to her home in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district a few days ago, even as four men arrested for the supposed killing continue to be in prison.
The story of Lalita Bai (35), resident of Navali village, is stranger than fiction, or a film script.
A case was registered for her `murder' at Thandla town in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh in September 2023, days after her family reported that she had gone missing from Gandhi Sagar area of Mandsaur.
Her relatives even identified the body of a woman with her head crushed as Lalita Bai, said Gandhi Sagar police station in-charge Taruna Bharadwaj.
So imagine their surprise when Lalita Bai returned home on March 11, safe and sound.
According to her, she left home on her own with one Shahrukh and travelled to Bhanpura.
There, without her knowledge, he `sold' her to another person, also named Shahrukh, for Rs 5 lakh, Lalita Bai told police.
The second man took her to Kota in Rajasthan, where she stayed with him for nearly 18 months.
"However, as soon as I got the opportunity, I ran away and came back," Lalita told PTI Videos.
"I do not have a mobile phone, so I was unable to contact my family members," she said.
"After we had filed a missing person report, Thandla police informed us about the recovery of a woman's body with her head crushed. We went there and identified it as the body of our daughter on the basis of a tattoo and a black string tied around her leg. We performed the last rites too," Lalita's father Nanuram Banchhada said.
Police, meanwhile, arrested four men including Shahrukh who had allegedly lured her away.
After her return, her father took her to the Gandhi Sagar police station, and informed the officials that she was very much alive.
Gandhi Sagar police then informed their counterparts in Thandla about the development.
As to the fate of the four men who are in prison, it is for the Thandla police to take necessary action, said Mandsaur Superintendent of Police Abhishek Anand.
Jhabua SP Padmavilochan Shukla told PTI that the local court has sought information about the matter.
"We will first conduct a medical examination and DNA test of the woman, and also record afresh the statements of witnesses," he said.
Only after a thorough investigation the police would be able to state conclusively that the woman who turned up at Gandhi Sagar police station earlier this month is the same woman who was thought to have been murdered, Shukla said.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
