Ganga Kulkarni, one of the accused in the cheating case filed by film lyricist K. Kalyan, was found dead in Kushtagi of Koppal district on Thursday.
She was meeting some lawyers in the local court in relation to a case where she was accused of collecting money from unemployed youth in Koppal district and outside.
The magistrate court in Kushtagi had issued an arrest warrant against Ganga Kulkarni, alias Jyoti, (50) on the charge of cheating unemployed youth and for not responding to several summons earlier. She was supposed to attend court in connection with this case on November 3. She had come to meet her lawyers to prepare for the hearing.
But she collapsed in front of the court building and the police and lawyers rushed her to a hospital. Doctors tried to treat her, but she died in a few minutes. The police suspected that she had consumed poison before coming to court.
The case in Kushtagi was one among the many that she was facing.
Meanwhile, Kushtagi Police have registered a case of suicide.
The woman, who hailed from Bagalkot, was wanted by the police in four districts.
Mr. Kalyan, whose wife hails from Belagavi, had accused self-styled astrologer Shivanand Wali and his accomplice Ganga Kulkarni of swindling his family property after cheating his wife and in-laws. He said that Ganga Kulkarni had joined his house in Bengaluru as a cook and had gained the confidence of his family members. She had introduced Wali to them and told them that he could solve their problems. This led to Mr. Kalyan’s wife and her parents shifting back to Belagavi. Mr. Kalyan’s parents in-law transferred valuable property in Belagavi to the astrologer under undue influence and fraud, Mr. Kalyan said in his complaint to the police last month.
The police then arrested Wali. They formed a team to arrest Ganga Kulkarni.
Police Commissioner K. Thiyagarajan organised counselling for Ms. Kalyan at the city women’s helpline. The two families held a series of meetings to sort out their differences.
( Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies can call Arogya Sahayavani on Ph: 104 for help. )
