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Wednesday, Jun 18, 2008
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Padmapriya case: Atul’s wife moves court

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The case relating to the mysterious death of Padmapriya, wife of Udupi MLA Raghupathy Bhat, on Tuesday reached the portals of the Karnataka High Court where a habeas corpus petition was filed for the release of Atul Rao, who is reportedly in custody of Udupi police.

The habeas corpus petition was filed in the afternoon by Meera Rao, wife of Atul Rao and it is expected to come up for hearing on Wednesday.

In her petition, Ms. Rao said Padmapriya was found missing from her home on June 11.

She said Padmapriya was found dead in an apartment at Dwarka in New Delhi on June 14.

She said her husband was taken into custody by the Udupi police on June 14 at 11 a.m. Since then, he has neither been arrested nor produced before a court. Ms. Rao said neither she nor any of her relatives were told the whereabouts of Atul Rao.

She said she feared for the safety of her husband and sought his release. She said Atul Rao did not have anything to do with the death of Padmapriya. However, since powerful and influential persons were involved in the case and since Padmapriya’s husband was an MLA of the ruling BJP, she feared that her husbtand might be made a scapegoat.

She said although she had met the Udupi Superintendent of Police and the police inspector, neither of them had volunteered any information on the whereabouts of her husband. They had refused to divulge any other detail. She has urged the court to come to her rescue and direct the police to produce her husband before the court and also release him if he was in their custody.

Not under detention

Udupi Staff Correspondent reports:

Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) A.M. Prasad on Tuesday said that Atul Rao would reach Mangalore or Udupi on Wednesday.

Mr. Prasad told The Hindu that Atul Rao would be returning to Bangalore with a police team. “The team will come to Mangalore or Udupi tomorrow. This police team left Udupi on the night of June 14. It reached New Delhi on June 15.”

Asked if Atul Rao is under detention, Mr. Prasad said, “He is not under detention. He had gone with the police team to help trace Padmapriya Bhat in New Delhi.”

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