The Hindu : Front Page : Udupi MLA’s wife commits suicide in New Delhi

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Monday, Jun 16, 2008
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Udupi MLA’s wife commits suicide in New Delhi

Staff Correspondent

The body was found hanging from the ceiling in a flat

Padmapriya Bhat

Udupi: Padmapriya Bhat, wife of Udupi MLA K. Raghupati Bhat, who went missing on June 11, is said to have committed suicide in New Delhi.

Superintendent of Police Devajyothi Ray told The Hindu here on Sunday that the police traced Ms. Bhat’s whereabouts on Saturday. The police got information that she was in New Delhi on Saturday. A police team left Mangalore for Bangalore from where it caught a flight to New Delhi.

The team then searched for Ms. Bhat in the national capital. During their search, they reached her place (Flat No 20, Shyama Apartments, Dwarka). No one responded when they rang the bell. Though the team called her on her mobile telephone she did not receive the call. The team then took the help of the New Delhi police and broke open the door of the flat.

“When they broke open the door and entered the flat, they found that she had committed suicide by hanging herself to death from the ceiling fan hook. The door was broken open in front of her husband K. Raghupati Bhat and her (Ms. Padmapriya’s) brother. Former MLA Sunil Kumar was present,” he said.

He said that the New Delhi police would have to conduct the inquest and prepare the enquiry report. This process may be completed on Monday. After that, the Udupi district police would take over the investigation. The flat was located with the help of Athul Rao, an engineer in Udupi and a friend of Mr. Bhat’s family, Mr. Ray said. Ms. Bhat is said to have left her husband’s house in Udupi to go to her parent’s house at Karnad near Mulky in Dakshina Kannada district on June 11.

On the way, she visited the Sri Durga Devi Temple at Kunjargiri village, about 12 km from Udupi. But the car, which she drove, was found abandoned below the Kunjargiri Hill in Kunjargiri village on June 13.

The police, which got information about the car on June 13, began a search for its owner and the fact that Ms. Bhat was missing came to light.

A search was launched in the nearby forests at Kunjargiri to trace Ms. Bhat. There was intense speculation on June 14 that Ms. Bhat had been traced at Malur in Kolar district, but that was not to be. Mr. Raghupati Bhat is a two-time MLA for Udupi. The couple have two sons — Rahul and Rohan.

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