MANDYA: A shocking case of betrayal and murder has come to light at a village in Srirangapatna taluk where a temple priest was brutally killed by his wife and her lover. The duo had conspired to eliminate him and continue their illicit affair.
Siddalingappa, a resident of Maralagal village in Srirangapatna taluk, was a priest who led a peaceful life with his wife and two children. However, Shalini had been having an affair with Harish, a single man from the same village, for over a year. She would often sneak him into their home when Siddalingappa was away, and they would indulge in their physical relationship.
One day, Siddalingappa returned home early and caught Shalini and Harish together. He reprimanded them and warned them to stop their affair, but they didn’t heed his warning. Instead, they continued their relationship, and Shalini began to plot her husband’s murder with Harish.
On March 6, Shalini informed Harish about Siddalingappa’s schedule, and they hatched a plan to kill him. Harish, along with two accomplices, ambushed Siddalingappa on his way home from a funeral ceremony. They beat him with sticks and threw him and his bike into a canal, making it look like an accident, Police Superintendent Shobha Rani said.
The investigation by Srirangapatna Rural police, revealed the truth behind Siddalingappa’s death. Shalini, Harish, and the two accomplices were arrested and charged with murder, the SP added.
