Suspecting fidelity, man kills wife

A man, allegedly suspecting his wife’s fidelity, strangled her to death at their residence in Suvarna Nagar, Peenya, Saturday night.

The deceased has been identified as Lata, 29, daughter of Chowdaiah, a construction worker. Her husband Thimmarayappa is now in police custody.

According to the police, Lata married Ramesh a decade ago. When Ramesh died of cancer within a year-and-half-of their marriage, she moved to her parents’ house at Suvarna Nagar — a few blocks away from her current residence.

She fell in love with Thimmarayappa, who worked as an auto driver in the area and married him. The couple had no children.

Police sources say that while Thimmarayappa continued to work as an auto driver, Lata worked at a garment factory. But she quit her job and worked for a political leader in the area, following which the couple’s relationship soured.

It is alleged that Lata often would not return home for many weeks. Thimmarayappa is learnt to have told the police that Lata failed to give a clear answer when he confronted her about her absence.

Saturday night, Lata was at home and she and Thimmarayappa consumed liquor in the house. An argument ensued between the two when Thimmarayappa, in an inebriated state, abused her, and accused her of having an affair.

According to the police, Thimmarayappa confessed to have physically assaulted her. However, the two settled their differences and went to sleep. When she was fast asleep,  however, Thimmarayappa strangled her with the loose end of her saree. According to sources, Thimmarayappa sat with the body till morning.

“On Sunday, he went to his father-in-law, Chowdaiah’s house, located just a few blocks away and told him that he had killed Lata,” sources said.

Chowdaiah rushed to his daughter’s house and alerted Peenya police, who registered a case and arrested Thimmarayappa.