Girl excels in SSLC amid family’s ordeal

Mother missing, father jailed for ‘murder’, yet she  triumphs with 84.96 percent in SSLC exam

Mysuru: For two long years, the small tribal household in Basavanahalli, Kushalnagar taluk, lived under a dark cloud of stigma, uncertainty and survival.

Suresh, a daily-wage earner and father of two, had been jailed for allegedly murdering his wife, Mallige. With skeletal remains misidentified and a chargesheet that the Court later termed fabricated, Suresh spent 24 months in prison — an innocent man trapped by a flawed system.

But while Suresh languished in jail, his daughter, J.S. Keerthi, quietly fought a different battle — one against despair, poverty, and abandonment.

Keerthi, a Class 10 student from the local Government High School, not only refused to give up — she excelled in her examinations despite the uncertainity. Scoring 531 out of 625 marks (84.96 percent) in the SSLC exams, with good marks in Kannada (120), Social Science (95), Science (84), English (90), Hindi (71), Mathematics (71) Keerthi proved that determination could thrive even in the harshest of conditions.

At home, the situation was dire. Mallige had suddenly gone missing and skeletal remains of a woman were discovered near Shanubhoganahalli in Bettadapura. In a botched investigation, the Police hastily concluded that the remains belonged to Mallige. Several officers and staff were allegedly involved in framing Suresh, who was subsequently jailed.

With their father behind bars, Keerthi and her younger brother, then in the 9th standard, found themselves caring for their ageing grandparents and aunt, all too frail to work. Her brother had to drop out of school to find work and support Keerthi’s education.

Despite emotional trauma, social stigma and financial hardship, Keerthi studied hard, drawing strength from the hope that one day, her father’s name would be cleared.

That day came on Apr. 23, when the Fifth Additional District and Sessions Court acquitted Suresh of all charges, censuring the Police for building a case on false evidence.

Mallige, the woman presumed dead, had resurfaced alive with her paramour, exposing one of the most shocking miscarriages of justice in recent times. For the family, the acquittal was not just legal relief — it was the reclaiming of dignity. And for Keerthi, the joy is doubled as she fared well in her SSLC despite the hardship.