Mangalore: Padmapriya's Mortal Remains Arrive at Bajpe Airport

Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (GA)

Updated at 1.30 IST

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Mangalore, Jun 17: The mortal remains of Udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat's wife Padmapriya arrived at Bajpe airport here on Tuesday June 17 morning from Bangalore through Jet Airways en-route to Udupi. The mortal remains were immediately sent to Udupi accompanied by MLA Raghupati Bhat, former Karkala MLA Sunil Kumar and others. Padmapriya's last rites are expected to be held in Udupi later in the day.

Earlier Padmpriya's mortal remains were brought to Bangalore in the small hours of Tuesday after conducting post mortem in New Delhi where she is said to have ender her life by hanging herself in an apartment in the Dwaraka locality.

'Fear of Cops on Trail made Padma End life'  

Udpi, Jun 17: Karnataka Home Minister V S Acharya has said that the news that the State police were zeroing in on the missing Udupi MLAs wife, Padmapriya, might have forced her to end her life.
 
Dr Acharya, who on Sunday had asserted that he believed it was “temporary depression” that had driven her to commit suicide, said on Monday, “persons under depression take extreme step when tension mounts.”

He observed that when the door of the flat was broke open, the TV set was on with a Kannada channel still running and noted that she was aware of what was happening around her.

A medical doctor, Acharya, who saw the body of the 35-year-old woman on Sunday night, opined that Padmapriya might have committed suicide between 10 am and 11.30 am on Sunday. 

Shama Apartment in Delhi

“It was a case of suicide. What motivated her to take this extreme step has to be investigated?” “Her face had turned black and her neck had swollen because of the impact of the rope which she used to hang herself to a ceiling hook,” Acharya told here on Monday.

“As a medical man I can say that death may have taken place 8-10 hours before I saw her body at 8.30 pm that night. Rigor mortis (the tightening of muscles happening about six hours after death) had set in already ”.
According to the minister, the BJP MLA came to know of his wife missing on June 12 and immediately, at 1 pm, informed him.

“I got in touch with the DGP, and the IGP went to the spot — where the car had been abandoned — at 3:30 pm. We were concerned about the safety of the woman. Then on June 13, we eliminated unlikely possibilities one by one.

On the morning of June 14, the police established contact with the person (Atul) who was suspected to have brought her here. By that evening, Bhat, accompanied by Sunil Kumar (former MLA) came to Delhi. They went to the flat at 2:30 pm on Sunday.

In Good times..Bhat Couple

There was no response. Along with the Delhi police, they came to the flat again at 6:30 pm only to find her dead.” The home minister observed that the State government would not spare anyone if found guilty. “We won’t spare anyone. Inquiry will be impartial. Our police have handled the case well. We are sorry we could not get her alive.”

Body of Padmapriya arrives in Bangalore
 
Deccan Herald
 
The body of Padmapriya, the wife of Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat, arrived in the City from New Delhi by a Jet Airways flight at 11.30 pm on Monday. Brothers of Padmapriya, Rajashekhar and Sudarshan, Padmapriya’s mother, Bhat and his friend Sunil accompanied the body.

The body was directly taken to M S Ramaiah Hospital in a freezer-fitted ambulance. It will be airlifted to Mangalore on Tuesday at 9 am.

One of Bhat’s close friends told Deccan Herald that Padmapriya was frustrated with domestic problems and was unhappy with the affairs of the MLA. He went on postponing her request to go in for a divorce. Atul was just a good friend of Padmapriya and there was no truth that the two had an affair. Media reports about the character of Padmapriya were not correct. Atul just wanted to help her. He only took her to Karwar and Goa from where she went to Delhi.

Udupi: Bhat Family Criticises Visual Media, Blames Atul Rao

• Padmapriya's Mortal Remains to Arrive in City on June 17
• Home Minister V S Acharya has said that autopsy results show Padmapriya, wife of a BJP MLA from Karnataka had committed suicide.

Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (RD)
Pics: Hemanath Padubidri

Udupi, Jun 16: The close family members of both Padmapriya and MLA Raghupaty Bhat, informed the media persons, at a press conference held at 4.30 p m at the residence of MLA Raghupaty Bhat, that they were disheartened by the visual media who were telecasting irrelevant news on the disappearance of Padmapriya.

He clarified that, she had left the house on Wednesday June 11 morning, informing the family that she would be away in her parents house for 3 days; and not on Jun 10 as the media reported.

Their families were traditional and dignified who would not bear the misleading  information published by the media on the straining relationship of Padmapriya with her husband that they claim was false.

To prove their cordial relationship they said that Padmapriya's husband Raghupaty Bhat used to take her along on official tours on his own expenses, in order to spend quality time together.  She has earned the trust of her husband, by handling all household responsibilities, managing his finance firm and plantation, they informed.

The family made several calls, in a bid to get in touch with, soon after she left home on Wednesday morning, but in vain.  They trusted that she would return from her parent's house in few days.  However, they were shocked to learn from the police that she had gone missing since her abandoned car was found in Kunjalgiri hills, at the jurisdiction of Shirva police station, on Friday June 13, they added..

Nonetheless, they are suspicious of Atul Rao, a close friend of MLA Raghupaty Bhat who has helped the former to get construction business in building houses in the isle under the administration of Adamar Math.

However, the family alleges that Atul, who could no longer bear the success of Raghupaty Bhat as an elected MLA and the prosperity of the entire family, could have masterminded to slay Padmapriya since she was the home maker and the all of the family.  The greed for wealth perhaps prompted Atul to go ahead with his evil plans, they alleged.

The mortal remains  of Padmapriya will arrive in Mangalore by air from New Delhi via Bangalore at 11.30 a m on Tuesday June 17, and later will be brought to the family's residence, here for last rites, they informed.

Balakrishna Acharya, cousin of MLA Raghupaty Bhat, Ramesh Barittaya, brother of Raghupaty, Prakash Rao, maternal uncle of Padmapriya were present at the press meet.

Atul Rao's Family Deny Role in Padmapriya Case

In the case relating to the abduction of Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat's wife Padmapriya until the recovery of her body at New Delhi, the role of one person is found to be very crucial. It was reported that he was
helping  Padmapriya to find a safe abode away from her husband, at the same time involving himself with the search efforts launched by her worried husband. Atul should be given full credit for making everyone including his family believe that he is innocent, all through the ordeal, considering the fact that Raghupathi Bhat is a shrewd politician. 

Atul was Bhat's classmate, friend and confidant. He works as a store keeper in the engineering department of the zilla panchayat. He attended to the interior works of Bhat's house and office. As a close friend, he worked for the victory of Bhat during the recent elections. He was like a member of Bhat's family on whom both Bhat and his wife reposed total trust. Atul lives in Hudco colony at Doddanagudde, Udupi along with his wife, two children and mother. As an employee of the zilla panchayat, he was the one who disclosed to Bhat about a Rs 20 crore scam that happened at the zilla panchayat a few years ago.

Atul got a job on compassionate grounds, after his father, an engineer in the public works department and housing board, died while in service. He had completed pre university education then, and is said to have completed his of 'Dharmadarshi Builders' and is said to have got a lot of business because of Bhat's contacts. Atul is also an office bearer at Karambally Sri Venkatramana Temple of which Raghupathi Bhat is a trustee.

The guard of the apartment where the  body was found, has confirmed that Atul accompanied Padmapriya on June 10.

Despite tons of evidence  Atul's wife Meera and mother Usha strongly deny that he could harm any one. Meera is aghast at the way he is being painted as a villain by the media which she says, is unreasonable and unkind. His mother denies his involvement with any deceptive activities.

She agrees that her son had been out of Udupi from June 10 to 13, but was informed by him that he had been to Bangalore. As soon as he came back and came to know of  Padmapriya's disappearance, he lent his services to locate her, she says. After the police inspector Jayant Shetty called him to the police station in the morning, he came back at midnight, claiming that he had been to Kolar to help in investigations, the mother said. While the police said that Atul claimed Padmapriya was at Malur, the owner of Jain Farm near Malur denies that he had ever visited the farm.

The police have not yet revealed what story Atul has put forth, in respect of his following Padmapriya's car, deserting her car, deliberately showing proof of a scuffle inside the  her car, escorting her to Delhi etc., While some sources say that he has flatly denied having any illicit relationship with the deceased lady, it is also said that Atul disclosed that Padmapriya, who was fed up with the ways of her husband, had asked for Atul's help to live away from her husband. She reportedly  threatened to commit suicide if he did not extend a helping hand in her Endeavour, and promised to return whatever amount he spent towards her settlement elsewhere, in monthly  installments by working in a BPO or call centre.

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