Chitralekha case: appeal filed against Bharati's acquittal

Two months after Bharati Urs, daughter of the former Chief Minister D. Deveraj Urs, was set free by a Sessions Court in Bangalore, an appeal against her acquittal in the sensational Chitralekha Urs murder case came to be filed before the Karnataka High Court on Monday.

Chitralekha was an advocate and daughter of High Court Judge M.P. Chandrakant Raje Urs. She was also a cousin of Bharati Urs.

Chitralekha was murdered and Bharati and several others were accused of the crime.

On May 28, 2010, the First Fast Track Court (FTC) and Sessions Court, Bangalore, had acquitted Bharati of murder citing lack of evidence.

The presiding officer of the FTC Judge Amaranarayana apart from Bharati, had also acquitted T. Madhukar and L.N. Chandrakanth, who were charged with abducting Chitralekha from the Palm Grove Nursery owned by Hari Khoday on January 19, 2004.

In her appeal before the High Court, Chitralekha's mother said the decomposed body of her daughter was found in Shiradi Ghats on March 9, 2004.

According to her, the charge sheet drawn up by the Bangalore police said Bharati had hatched a criminal conspiracy to eliminate Chitralekha, who had mediated to get her a Rs. 70-lakh loan. It said Bharati allegedly arranged a meeting with Chitralekha at the Palm Grove Nursery where her aides, Madhukar and Chandrakanth, strangled her and dumped her body in the ghats.

The arrest of the two men led to the body. Chitralekha's jewellery was recovered from Chandrakanth's house. The police recovered the cheques and promissory notes signed by Bharati.

‘Inconclusive evidence'

In his judgment, the FTC said the prosecution failed to establish criminal conspiracy and there was no evidence to prove the meeting took place at Palm Grove. The State too is likely to file an appeal against the FTC order.