Man held for wife's murder after allegedly filming her final moments in Karnataka’s Bagalkot

A 29-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife after suspecting her of being involved in an extramarital relationship, with investigators accusing him of recording her final moments instead of trying to save her.

The victim, identified as Bhagyashree Jigalur, was found dead inside the couple's residence in Galagali village of Bagalkot district's Bilagi taluk on Monday evening.

Police arrested her husband, Praveen Ashok Jigalur, after registering a murder case based on a complaint lodged by her father.

According to investigators, the accused allegedly captured a video while the woman was hanging from a noose, purportedly showing her struggling, before forwarding the footage to her father, relatives and friends.

Police have seized the videos and are examining them as part of the investigation.

Officials, however, said the exact sequence of events is yet to be established. Blood injuries were found on the woman's body, prompting investigators to examine whether she was assaulted before being hanged or whether the injuries were sustained in another manner. An iron rod-like object has been recovered from the scene and has been sent for forensic examination.

Police said the couple married in 2020 and had been living together for about four years. They have a three-year-old son.

The preliminary investigation suggests that the accused, who worked as a driver and was frequently away from home, suspected his wife of having an affair with a man from the locality where her parents reside.

Police said the alleged relationship had become a recurring source of conflict between the couple.

Bhagyashree had reportedly been staying at her parental home for nearly six weeks before the incident. Investigators are also looking into her alleged complaints that her husband had not been taking proper care of her.

According to Bagalkot Superintendent of Police Siddharth Goyal, the accused allegedly went to his in-laws' house on Monday and brought his wife back to their home, where the two were alone when the incident occurred.

Investigators recovered beer bottles from the house and are examining whether the woman had been made to consume alcohol.

Samples of her stomach contents have been preserved and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, while the post-mortem examination is expected to determine the nature of the neck injuries and whether any intoxicating substance was involved.

Police said the accused appeared to harbour deep resentment towards his wife and, rather than attempting to rescue her, allegedly chose to film the incident and circulate the videos immediately afterwards.

The police will seek his custody to verify the authenticity and timing of the recovered videos, question witnesses and examine whether village panchayat meetings had previously been held to address the couple's marital disputes.

The investigation is ongoing.