KOPPAL: A man who was absconding for 23 years after murdering his wife has been finally arrested by the Gangavathi police on Thursday. The accused Hanumanthappa Hussainappa (75) was awarded life imprisonment by the first additional district and sessions court on Friday.
In 2002, Hanumanthappa had murdered his third wife Renukamma, stuffed her body in a gunny bag and transported it by bus from Lakshmi Camp in Gangavathi. He abandoned the gunny bag at the Kampli bus stand.
Recently, Hanumanthappa visited his native village Haladala in Manvi taluk of Raichur district. On getting information, the Gangavathi police arrested him and registered a case.
Hanumanthappa had married Renukamma, a native of Indaragi in Koppal taluk, in 2001. After his first wife died, he had married for a second time, but the second wife abandoned him after which he had married Renukamma.
He murdered her, suspecting her fidelity, and transported her body by a KSRTC bus. The KSRTC staff had lodged a complaint on noticing blood stains on the gunny bag.
He had gone missing on the day of sentencing by the court. After his arrest on Thursday, Hanumanthappa was produced before the Gangavathi bench of the Kopal first additional district and sessions court on Friday which imprisoned him to life with a fine of Rs 15,000, Police Superintendent R Hemanth Kumar said.