The Karnataka police have cracked the case involving the disappearance of a 17-year-old girl and her father, revealing that the father allegedly murdered her over her relationship and later went into hiding.
Police said 48-year-old Timmarayappa, a farmer from Nimbemaradahalli village in Tumakuru, strongly opposed his daughter T Meghana’s relationship with an electrician who is a close relative of his wife Nirmala. While Nirmala reportedly supported the relationship, Timmarayappa objected to it.
According to the police, on April 16, Timmarayappa took Meghana to their family farm, where an argument broke out over the relationship. Police said he strangled her and, believing she was dead, dumped her body into a farm well. Fearing that the body could later float to the surface, he allegedly returned that evening, retrieved it, carried it to a nearby dry lakebed, and buried it in a shallow grave.
The next day, Timmarayappa and Nirmala filed a missing-person complaint for Meghana. A week later, on April 23, Timmarayappa himself went missing after leaving home with his motorcycle and some cash. Nirmala subsequently filed another complaint with police regarding her husband’s disappearance.
With both Meghana’s and Timmarayappa’s mobile phones switched off from the dates they were reported missing, investigators found little digital evidence to pursue, causing the case to go cold for several weeks. A special police team was later formed and began gathering information from nearby villages.
A breakthrough came on the night of May 15, when police received information that Timmarayappa had visited a friend in a village located around 3 km from his home. The friend informed police that the accused had been travelling across different taluks on his motorcycle and spending nights in temples and bus stands to avoid being caught.
Police said Timmarayappa had also purchased a new SIM card and a second-hand mobile phone in Kadabagere. He had reportedly sought legal advice on obtaining anticipatory bail in a murder case.
The friend shared Timmarayappa’s new phone number with investigators, who quickly traced the signal to his native village.
Police detained him on May 16. According to Times of India, he initially pretended to be a distressed father and denied any involvement in Meghana’s disappearance. However, during interrogation, he allegedly confessed to killing her and burying the body.
Following his confession, police exhumed Meghana’s body on Sunday, May 17, and sent it for post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death. Timmarayappa has been taken under custody for further investigation.