Woman kills husband and claims tiger attack to get compensation, arrested

MYSURU: A woman killed her husband and claimed that he had been attacked by a tiger to claim compensation of Rs 15 lakh given by the government for families of wild animal attack victims, at Chikkahejjur village in Hunsur taluk. The deceased was identified as Venkataswamy (45) while the accused is Sallapuri.

The couple was working at an arecanut plantation and lived there. A week ago, she lodged a complaint with the police stating that a tiger had snatched Venkataswamy from near their house. However, when the police and the Forest department staff conducted an inspection, there was no sign of any animal in the plantation or nearby areas.

Based on suspicion, when the police searched the house, they found Venkataswamy’s half burnt body in a ditch. During questioning, Sallapuri admitted that she had killed her husband by mixing pesticide in his ragi balls (mudde), partly burnt the body and dumped it in a ditch near the house.

Sallapuri told the police that she planned the murder so that she could get Rs 15 lakh as compensation from the government. The compensation is given to families of victims of wild animal attacks. She has since been arrested.

On Friday, the body of Venkataswamy removed from the ditch and sent for post-mortem examination to the KR Hospital in Mysuru. Venkataswamy elder sister Nagamma a.k.a Venkatamma said, “I suspected her from the beginning and she had left home twice, but we had convinced her to return. Last Sunday night, she called me and said a leopard had grabbed Venkataswamy. When I asked for more details, she told me to come to the police station”.

“When I went to the police station, she said we could share the compensation and I shouted at her. After the police and Forest department searched, the house, they found Venkataswamy’s body in a ditch. Sallapuri should be given the harshest punishment”, the sister said.