A 17-year-old pre-university student was murdered and then allegedly raped near Karnataka's Haveri. Her partially-burnt body was found near a bridge located 14 km away from Haveri on Thursday. Based on her autopsy, investigators have concluded that the girl was raped after she was killed.
The police have arrested the girl’s 28-year-old cousin, Manjanagouda Patil alias Shashi, on suspicion that he may have committed the crime. According to the police, Manjanagouda was the last person to see Sharada alive as he had dropped her to college on August 6.
When 17-year-old Sharada* did not come home from college, her father had lodged a complaint with the Haveri Rural Police the next day.
When she did not return to her village, Varadahalli, located far away from Haveri city, her parents approached the police.
Investigators said that the girl may have been drugged before being abducted.
“After arresting him, he revealed that he was the one who killed her. There are signs of struggle so it may be that she was abducted and then sexually assaulted. She was killed and then raped,” a police officer said.
Police said that Manajangouda had initially tried to dupe the police by assisting them in the probe. He had said that Sharada was raped by four men and had even identified them. After interrogating the suspects, the police found the evidence to be inconclusive and realised that Manjanagouda was trying to mislead them.
On August 6, Manjunathgouda left for the college in his car with Sharada. On the way, he took her to his sister’s house in Vidyanagar East Block of the city.
Once inside the house, he attempted to rape her. When she resisted, he hit her head and after she collapsed, on the bed he raped her. “He also confessed that he smothered her with a piece of cloth to ensure she died. Then he poured acid over her upper body, got a ruck sack, stuffed her body into it and dumped it near Varadahalli Varada river bridge,” the investigating officer said.
“Her upper body was burnt partially. She had died before she was set on fire. Her body was dumped under the bridge and remnants of her college uniform and some jewellery were found,” the police officer said.
Police have stated that the vehicle used by Manjanagouda, in which he dropped Sharada to college, is missing.
The Haveri Rural Police have registered a case of rape, murder and destruction of evidence against Manjanagouda.