Anaesthetic overdose may have killed actor, say cops

Kannada television actor Hemashree, who died on Tuesday, had sustained three assault injuries—one on her head and two in the abdomen region, according to a preliminary post-mortem report.

A black liquid  found in her stomach was identified as chloroform, an anaesthetic. Police have sent the viscera for further tests to the Forensic Laboratory and the report is expected in a week’s time. Senior police officers said Hemashree might have died due to an overdose of chloroform.

The City police, who have arrested Surendra Babu, Hemashree’s husband, based on the complaint lodged by actor’s father Nagaraj on Wednesday, produced him before the jurisdictional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Thursday. The court remanded him in police custody for 10 days, till October 19. Babu, however, has pleaded innocence.

But the officers said Babu’s version of the sequence of events was contradictory. Police have formed two special teams to investigate the case. One of the teams has already left for Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.

Babu had told police that he and Hemashree were on their way to Anantapur to visit a friend’s farmhouse when his wife became ill midway. He said he had brought her back to Bangalore for treatment, but she was declared brought dead at the Baptist Hospital.

However, police confirmed that the couple had reached the farmhouse where Hemashree might have been killed. A special police team is interrogating those present at the farmhouse. The owner of the farmhouse, Murali, is absconding.

Missing driver

Police are also on the lookout for Sateesh, Babu’s car driver who had gone missing after the couple reached Anantapur.

Police said it was Babu who drove back to Bangalore with his wife’s body and pretended to admit her to the hospital.