• Orders Government to pay Rs. 1 lakh compensation
• Recommends disciplinary action against four Police Officers

Mysuru: In a dramatic turn in the sensational case where a woman presumed murdered was later found alive, while her innocent husband languished in jail for two long years, the Fifth Additional District and Sessions Court has honourably acquitted Suresh, a tribal resident of Basavanahalli in Kushalnagar taluk, of all charges, including the alleged murder of his wife Mallige. The Court came down heavily on the Police, terming the chargesheet false and the evidence fabricated.

 Delivering the judgement on Tuesday (Apr. 23), Judge Gururaj Somakkalavar stated: “The accused Suresh alias Kuruba Suresh, son of Gandhi is hereby Honourably Acquitted of offences punishable under Sections 498(A), 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code. The Station House Officer (SHO), Bettadapura Police Station, is directed to remove his name from the Police records of this case. The bail and surety bonds stand cancelled.”

The Court also ordered that Suresh be released unconditionally and with full honour. The Judge also directed the Government of Karnataka to pay a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh to Suresh for the wrongful arrest and incarceration.

Disciplinary action against Cops

The Court didn’t stop at the acquittal. It directed the Inspector General of Police, Mysuru Division, to initiate departmental action against four Police Officers — Jitendra Kumar, Prakash M. Yattinamani, B.K. Mahesh and B.G. Prakash — and submit a detailed report to the Court.

In addition, the Court empowered the Chief Administrative Officer of the District and Sessions Court to file a criminal complaint against Investigating Officer B.G. Prakash under Sections 229 and 231 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

Section 229 of the BNS addresses the offense of providing or fabricating false evidence. In contrast, Section 231 outlines the offence of giving or fabricating false evidence with the intent to procure a conviction for a crime punishable with life imprisonment or imprisonment.

Skeleton was fake: UDR case under lens

The Court also took serious note of a false identity claim made during the investigation. It directed the Superintendent of Police (SP), Mysuru, to reinvestigate the UDR (Unnatural Death Report) case filed at Bettadapura Police Station, where a skeleton recovered by the Police was falsely claimed to be that of Mallige, the ‘murdered’ wife.

The SP has been asked to submit the findings to both the jurisdictional Court and the Fifth Additional District and Sessions Court.

Judgement copies are being forwarded to the Director General of Police (DGP), Principal Secretary to Government (Home Department), Additional Chief Secretary, Inspector General of Police (Mysuru Division) and Superintendent of Police (Mysuru) for further action.

From wrongful arrest to acquittal

The case dates back to June 2021, when Suresh was arrested by Bettadapura Police on charges of murdering his wife. He spent two years in prison before securing bail from the High Court. Suresh was married to Mallige for 18 years and had two children.

In a dramatic revelation on Apr. 1, 2025, Mallige — believed to be dead — was spotted alive and well by the seventh witness of the criminal case, at a hotel in Madikeri, sharing snacks with her paramour Ganesh.

 Then the Madikeri Police were immediately alerted and they arrived at the scene and took Mallige into custody. Upon interrogation, she admitted to having lived with Ganesh in Shettigeri village, Ponnampet Taluk, for the past five years. Her discovery triggered a judicial storm that ultimately led to Suresh’s acquittal and an official probe into Police misconduct.

Following the revelation, the Court had ordered Mysuru SP N. Vishnuvardhana to conduct a detailed enquiry. The SP submitted his report on Apr. 17.