Husband Spends 2 Years in Jail For Killing Wife; Wife Found Alive
A man jailed for his wife's murder in Karnataka was proven innocent after she was found alive, exposing major police lapses.
We have all watched suspense thrillers in movies. But this time, a real-life story from Karnataka has shocked everyone — a woman who was believed to be murdered by her husband in 2020 has now appeared alive in court!
The man at the centre of this case is Suresh, a 38-year-old daily wage worker from the tribal community in Basavanahalli village, Kushalnagar. He was married to Mallige for 18 years and has two children.
What Happened?
In December 2020, Suresh filed a police complaint saying his wife Mallige had gone missing. In 2021, police found a decomposed body in Bettadarapura and said it was Mallige’s. They arrested Suresh, blaming him for her murder and claiming he killed her over an affair. Even though the DNA test was not completed, police filed a charge sheet against Suresh. He was denied bail at first, but later released in September 2024 after 2.5 years in jail.
The Shocking Twist
On 1st April 2025, a friend of Suresh spotted Mallige at a hotel in Madikeri, eating with another man named Ganesh. She was taken to the police station and produced in court the next day. There, Mallige openly said that the clothes found on the dead body were not hers. She admitted that she had eloped and married Ganesh, and had been living just 25-30 km away in Shettihalli village.
She said she had no idea what had happened to Suresh and that police had made no effort to find her all these years.
What the Court Said
The court has now asked Mallige to stay in a rehabilitation centre for four days while the police take her statement.
Meanwhile, the Mysuru court has questioned the police for their mistakes. It asked why Kushalnagar and Bettadarapura police believed the dead body was Mallige’s only based on clothes and bangles. They also claimed Mallige’s son Krishna had written the complaint, and that her mother, Gowri, had confirmed the body was hers. They even said Suresh himself had admitted to the murder.
The court has now ordered the Superintendent of Police (SP) to do a fresh investigation and give a full report by 17th April.
Advocate Speaks
Suresh’s advocate said this is a serious and rare case. He asked two important questions:
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If Mallige is alive, then whose skeleton was found?
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Why did police submit a false charge sheet?
He said Suresh deserves justice and compensation for the trauma he went through. Since Suresh belongs to a Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, the advocate will also approach the Human Rights Commission and the ST Commission.
He added that there should be a full investigation into whether the police made Suresh a scapegoat just to close the case.
