Nagpur (PTI): Police have solved the murder case of a woman doctor in Nagpur by arresting her husband, also a doctor, and her brother-in-law who had tried to pass off the incident as a robbery-related crime, an official said on Monday.
The crime stemmed from suspicions over the character of the deceased and arguments between her and her husband, Dr. Anil Rahule, who teaches at a private medical college in Raipur.
According to police, Dr. Rahule allegedly hatched a conspiracy to kill his wife, Dr. Archana, and his brother, Raju Rahule, smashed her head with an iron rod on April 9.
The slain doctor worked as an assistant professor in the physiotherapy department of the Government Medical College and Hospital, police said.
"Dr. Anil Rahule used to doubt the character of his wife, which resulted in frequent arguments between them. He would often fight with her and physically assault her," police said.
The official stated that Dr. Rahule called his brother, Raju, to their residence in Ladikar Layout in Nagpur on April 9.
While Dr. Rahule pinned down his wife by holding her legs, Raju allegedly struck her on the head with an iron rod. After the murder, both brothers locked the house using the central locking system and fled, police said.
Dr Rahule returned to his house on April 12 and raised an alarm, following which police were alerted.
Prima facie, it appeared to be a case of robbery. However, police grew suspicious after noticing that the body had decomposed, indicating that the murder had occurred a few days earlier.
The suspicion deepened when the police observed that Dr. Rahule was uneasy and pretended to faint, the official said.
"He admitted to killing his wife during interrogation, following which he and his brother were arrested. Police are investigating whether there was any other motive," the official added.
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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.
