Gadag: Man held for girlfriend's murder six months after she disappeared
Gadag (PTI): A 28-year-old man was arrested for allegedly murdering his girlfriend after she pressurised him to marry her, and later buried her body in a bid to destroy evidence, police said on Monday.
The incident, which took place six months ago, came to light following a detailed investigation by the police which led to the arrest of the accused on Sunday.
The deceased has been identified as Madhushree Angadi (26) from Narayanapura village in Gadag taluk. The accused, Satish Hiremath, also hails from the same village. The duo had been in a relationship for six years.
According to police, Madhushree’s parents disapproved of her relationship with Satish and sent her to live with their relatives in Gadag. On the night of December 16, 2024, she left her relative’s house and disappeared.
A missing person’s complaint was filed at Betageri Police Station on January 12, 2025.
Gadag Superintendent of Police, BS Namegouda said Madhushree had been pressing her boyfriend to marry her, leading to frequent arguments.
During inquiry, it was found that on the night of December 16, Satish took Madhushree to a farmhouse near Narayanapura where he killed her following a heated argument by strangling her with a veil.
After the murder, Satish buried her body and feigned ignorance about her whereabouts.
To avoid suspicion, he resumed work at the petrol bunk and periodically returned to the burial site to scatter her remains elsewhere and destroy evidence, he said.
A breakthrough in the case came through technical evidence. A message ping from Madhushree's phone at a location that didn't match Satish’s version, raising suspicion, police said.
Upon interrogation, Satish confessed to the crime and led the police to the burial spot.
"As soon as we received information about the incident during interrogation, our officers registered a murder case and initiated a thorough investigation. The accused has been taken into custody, and we are planning to take him into police custody for further investigation and evidence collection," the senior police officer said.
Earlier, the accused had claimed that he dropped her off on the outskirts of the town on a two-wheeler and didn’t know where she went.
The police suspected that the two might have eloped. But there was no contact from Madhushree, which raised suspicion.
"After verifying all the evidence and leads, we arrested the accused," he added.
While some skeletal remains have been recovered, Madhushree’s skull is yet to be found. Forensic examination and investigation is underway.
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Odisha caste row ends; children return to anganwadi centre, consume food cooked by Dalit helper
Kendrapara (Odisha) (PTI): A three-month-long caste row at an anganwadi centre in a village in Odisha's Kendrapara district ended on Monday as upper caste children returned to the facility and consumed food cooked by a Dalit woman helper.
Of the 20 children on the roll, 16 came to the anganwadi centre in Nuagaon village under Ghalimala gram panchayat with their parents and accepted the food cooked by the helper, with the absentees reporting ill.
The anganwadi centre remained shut since November 21 last year, following the appointment of Sharmistha Sethy, a Dalit woman, as a helper, with several upper caste families refusing to send their wards to the facility or even accept nutritious food items supplied by the government for pregnant women and lactating mothers.
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The caste row triggered nationwide outrage, and the matter was even raised in Parliament, with Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, voicing concern over caste discrimination in the workplace.
On Monday, Kendrapara Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) Dipali Mishra and Rajnagar MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo were present at the anganwadi centre to welcome the children.
"I served ragi ladoos to the children. Later, I cooked rice and 'dalma' (vegetable curry) and served the children. Seeing them eat the meals made me overjoyed. They also played with toys, bringing back life to the centre, which was left deserted for around three months," Sethy said.
"I hope caste discrimination will not lurk its ugly head in the village anymore," she added.
CDPO Mishra said the children, flanked by their guardians, had joyous moments at the centre.
"The centre functioned sans the children for almost three months due to some villagers' disagreement over the appointment of Sharmistha Sethy as the anganwadi centre helper. Now, the vibrancy is back," Mishra said.
On the absentees, the CDPO said they could not join as they are not well.
"We hope the absentee children will come to the centre on Tuesday as the dispute has been resolved. People have decided to relegate the differences to the background. This is heartening," she added.
Rajnagar MLA Dhurba Charan Sahoo said, "The issue is now a thing of the past. I hope the camaraderie among the villagers will remain intact."
Taking to X, Kendrapara MP and BJP national vice president Baijayant Panda said, "Delighted at children having a nutritious meal today at the Nuagaon anganwadi which I had reviewed yesterday and had a wonderful lunch along with local leaders and villagers. It was heartening to see the community coming together to ensure great beginnings for their children."
Panda, who hails from the Brahmin community, and other upper caste villagers joined a feast where Sethy served food to the guests on Sunday.
State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) member Sujata Nayak hailed the children's return to the centre and said the commission will launch an awareness drive aimed at safeguarding the rights of the children.
Kendrapara district sub-collector Arun Nayak had earlier said the matter was resolved in the presence of stakeholders, including members of the SCPCR and Odisha State Commission for Women, as the officials sensitised villagers on the matter.
