BAGALKOT: A 29-year-old man was arrested in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district for allegedly killing his wife over suspicions that she was having an extramarital affair.The accused allegedly recorded a video of his wife while she was hanging from a noose and later shared the footage with her family members and others, police said.The woman, identified as Bhagyashree Jigalur, was found dead at the couple’s house in Galagali village of Bilagi taluk on Monday evening, news agency PTI reported.Police registered a murder case against her husband, Praveen Ashok Jigalur, based on a complaint filed by the woman’s father.The accused has been arrested, and further investigation is underway.According to police, the video allegedly recorded by the accused showed the woman struggling while hanging from the noose.Investigators are yet to establish the exact sequence of events and determine whether she was assaulted before being hanged or died by hanging following an assault.Blood injuries were found on the woman’s body, police said. An iron rod-like object was also recovered from the crime scene and sent for examination, PTI reported.Bagalkot superintendent of police Siddharth Goyal said , “The accused shared those videos with the woman’s father, family members and some friends. We have recovered those videos.”Police said the couple married in 2020 and lived together for about four years. They have a three-year-old son.Preliminary investigation suggested that the accused, who worked as a driver and frequently travelled for work, suspected his wife of having a relationship with another man from the area where her parental home is located.Police said the alleged affair had led to frequent disputes between the couple.The woman had been staying at her parents’ house for the past 1.5 months. Investigators are also examining her alleged complaints that her husband did not properly care for her.According to the police, the accused went to his in-laws’ house on Monday and brought his wife back to their home. The couple was alone when the incident occurred.Investigators found beer bottles at the scene and are examining whether the woman had been made to consume alcohol.They are also investigating whether she was administered any intoxicating substance.“The post-mortem examination will clarify the nature of the injuries on the neck. We are also examining whether she was given any intoxicating substance. Stomach contents have been preserved and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis,” the officer said.Police have collected evidence from the crime scene for forensic examination.The videos allegedly recovered from the woman’s mobile phone and those recorded by the accused, are also being examined.Police said they would seek the accused’s custody to verify the authenticity and timing of the videos, question witnesses and determine whether village panchayat meetings had previously been held over the couple’s marital disputes.The exact sequence of events will be established after a detailed investigation, police said.(With agency inputs)
