Wife arrested in Karnataka ex-DGP Om Prakash murder case
Bengaluru, Apr 21 (PTI): Police probing former Karnataka DGP Om Prakash's murder case have arrested his wife Pallavi on a complaint by their son Kartikesh that he suspected that his mother and sister were involved in the murder.
"Investigation Officer has arrested Pallavi Om Prakash (64). She will be produced before the Magistrate," an officer said on Monday.
He added that the case has been transferred to the Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru (CCB) for further investigation.
Meanwhile, when police took Pallavi to the scene of crime, she told reporters present there that "domestic violence" was the reason behind the extreme step.
Prakash, a 1981 batch IPS officer hailing from Bihar, was found dead in a pool of blood in the ground floor of his three-storeyed house in the posh HSR Layout in the city on Sunday.
It is learnt that after a heated exchange of words, Pallavi allegedly threw chilli powder on Prakash's face before stabbing him to death, police sources said.
As the hefty former police chief of Karnataka scrambled for relief from the burning sensation, Pallavi stabbed him multiple times with a knife and bottle, killing him on the spot, sources said.
She then made a video call to her friend and said, "I have killed the monster," sources claimed.
In his complaint, Kartikesh alleged that his mother Pallavi had been threatening to kill his father for the past one week.
"Due to these threats, my father had gone to stay at his sister's house," he stated.
"Two days ago, my younger sister Kriti went there and pressured my father to return home. She brought him back against his will," Kartikesh alleged.
He said on Sunday around 5 PM, when he was at the Karnataka Golf Association in Domlur, his neighbour called him and informed that his father was found lying downstairs.
"I rushed home (located in HSR Layout) and found police officers and people present on the spot. My father was lying in a pool of blood with injuries on his head and body. A broken bottle and a knife were there next to his body. He was then taken to St John's Hospital," he explained.
"My mother Pallavi and my sister Kriti used to fight with my father often. I strongly suspect that they are involved in the murder of my father. I request you to initiate legal action in this case," he said in his complaint to the police.
The murder was the culmination of frequent run-ins between the couple, the sources said.
It is learnt that there was a property dispute involved in the crime pertaining to a land in Dandeli in Karnataka.
A few months ago, Pallavi had approached the HSR Layout police station to lodge a complaint.
When the staff there did not oblige, she staged a 'Dharna' (sit-in demonstration) in front of the police station, sources claimed.
It's also learnt that Pallavi was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was under medication too.
Meanwhile, the former top police brass was cremated with full state honours in Bengaluru on Monday after the autopsy.
Kartikesh, performed the last rites. Relatives and friends of the former DGP gathered to pay their final respects. After a gun salute, he was cremated at Wilson Garden Cremation Ground.
Speaking to reporters after the cremation, Kartikesh said, "After yesterday’s incident, I lodged a complaint. The police are doing their job, and I have full faith in them. I don’t want to comment further as the investigation will reveal everything. Let’s wait for that."
The 68-year-old retired IPS officer was a native of Champaran, Bihar, and held a Master's degree in Geology.
Prakash was appointed Director General of Police on March 1, 2015.
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Detaining authority didn't apply mind, relied on irrelevant material: Sonam Wangchuk's wife to SC
New Delhi (PTI): Jailed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, told the Supreme Court on Monday that the detaining authority had not not applied his mind and relied on irrelevant material while detaining her husband.
She told the court that four videos relied upon by the detaining authority have not been furnished to Wangchuk, which is a violation of his right to effective representation.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing in the court for Angmo, told a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Prasanna B Varale that not supplying the videos violated Wangchuk's right to effective representation before the Advisory Board as well as the government.
Sibal further argued that the district magistrate did not apply his mind while recommending Wangchuk's detention and only "copy-pasted" the recommendations made by the senior superintendent of police (SSP), Ladakh.
"Grounds of detention are simply a copy-paste of the recommendation. The material relied upon should have a proximate link to the detention order. Irrelevant things were relied upon for detention," Sibal said.
The hearing in the matter remained inconclusive and will continue on January 13.
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Angmo had earlier submitted that the tenor of a speech delivered by her husband at Leh was not to propagate violence, but to quell it, and that facts are being manipulated to portray him as a criminal.
Angmo had also told the court that Wangchuk was not provided with the "complete grounds" of his detention and not given a proper opportunity to make a representation to the authority concerned against the action.
Wangchuk was detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) on September 26, 2025, two days after violent protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead and 90 injured in the Union Territory.
The government has accused Wangchuk of inciting the violence.
The NSA empowers the Centre and states to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner "prejudicial to the defence of India". The maximum detention period is 12 months, though it can be revoked earlier.
The Leh district magistrate (DM) had earlier told the apex court that Wangchuk indulged in activities prejudicial to the security of the State, maintenance of public order and essential services, which led to his detention under the NSA.
In an affidavit filed before the court, the DM had denied that Wangchuk was detained illegally or was being treated improperly under detention, and submitted that the grounds of his detention were communicated to him.
Angmo, in her plea, has said the unfortunate events of violence in Leh on September 24 last year cannot be attributed to Wangchuk's actions or statements in any manner.
Wangchuk himself condemned the violence through his social media handles and categorically stated that it would lead to the failure of Ladakh's "tapasya" and peaceful pursuit of five years, Angmo said, adding that it was the saddest day of his life.
