The Hebbal police on Wednesday arrested Surendra Babu, 52, a JD(S) leader in connection with the mysterious death of his wife and Kannada TV serial actress Hema Sri, 32, on Tuesday. He has been remanded in police custody till October 20.
DCP (North) H S Revanna said the actress’s father Nagaraj had filed a case against Babu suspecting his role in the death. “A murder case has been registered against Babu and we are questioning him,” Revanna said.
In his complaint, Nagaraj has alleged that Babu murdered Hema Sri. “He did not inform us why he was taking my daughter to Anantapur,” he said.
Nagaraj said that if Babu was keen on saving his daughter’s life, he would have admitted her to a hospital in Anantapur.
“Instead, he brought her to the city, denying her timely medical aid. My daughter was healthy and there was no cause for her untimely death. Babu is trying to cover up the murder,” Nagaraj stated in the complaint.
Hema Sri and Babu are said to have had a troubled marriage. Just three days after their wedding last June, she had filed a case accusing Babu of forcibly marrying her. She had said in the complaint that she did not know she was his second wife and that he was 20 years older than her.
Babu had contested from Bangalore North Lok Sabha constituency on a JD(S) ticket in the last elections.
An autopsy was conducted on Hema Sri’s body at Victoria Hospital on Wednesday.
Head injury and abrasions on her face were seen, a source in the Department of Forensic Medicine said.
“However, the head injury was not fatal and the reason for the death was not established. But we can’t rule out chances of her being smothered to death using a pillow as abrasions were found on her face. Her viscera has been sent to the forensic science laboratory for tests,” the source said. The body was cremated at Sumanahalli crematorium on Magadi Road in the presence of her parents, relatives and friends.