Land dealer and Janata Dal (Secular) member R. Surendra Babu (52), accused of murdering his actor wife Hemashree (33), drove around the city with the body to dump it before turning up at Baptist Hospital, Hebbal police said in Bangalore Thursday.
Mr. Babu initially told the police the two were on their way to Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday when Hemashree developed convulsions and fell from the car and that he had rushed her to the hospital where she died.
However, the hospital, which has registered a medico-legal case, said death had occurred at least two hours prior to Hemashree being brought there.
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The police have tracked Mr. Babu’s movements through the mobile towers. This has led them to believe he must have killed her and transported the body towards Hemashree’s house in Channamanakere Achukattu to dispose of it. However, he appeared to have changed his mind and brought it to the hospital instead to make it look like an accident case.
The post-mortem report said Hemashree had multiple injuries on her head and face and the death could have been due to suffocation. It also stated she could have been administered chloroform though this can be ascertained only when the forensic report comes, a police officer said.
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Driver being sought
Police, who are questioning Mr. Babu, are looking for his car driver, Satish, who is on the run. The police have also summoned Mr. Babu’s friend Murali, a farm owner in Anantpur, to question him. After claiming to have been on his way to Anantpur, Mr. Babu later told the police he and his wife were returning from Mr. Murali’s farmhouse on Tuesday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) H.S. Revanna refused to comment on the case but said the police were on the verge of cracking it.