Now Reading: Woman presumed murdered for 6 years found alive in Mandya
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Woman presumed murdered for 6 years found alive in Mandya
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The Story in Brief
A woman who went missing in 2019 and was presumed murdered has been found alive in Mandya district, Karnataka, leading to a probe into the original investigation. Manju (35), who had eloped with another man, was traced after Rajesh, the man accused of her murder, spent two years in jail on the charge.
Manju said she was unhappy with her marriage and eloped, unaware of the missing and murder complaint. Her father had alleged in 2021 that Rajesh killed her and threw her body in the Cauvery river. Rajesh was arrested in 2021 and released on bail after 30 months in custody.
Rajesh’s father has now lodged a complaint alleging a false case. Mandya Superintendent of Police V J Shobharani said a probe led by the Srirangapatna DySP would investigate lapses. Rajesh has alleged police torture and forced confession, according to The Hans India.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Deccan Herald leads with the woman’s own account of eloping and her denial of knowing Rajesh, while The Hans India foregrounds Rajesh’s 2.5-year imprisonment and allegations of police torture. Both report the same core facts, but The Hans India explicitly frames the case as ‘alleged lapses’ and ‘serious questions’ about the investigation, giving greater weight to Rajesh’s version of coercion. Deccan Herald keeps closer to official statements, quoting the Superintendent of Police calling it a ‘rare case’ and stating a probe by a DySP. The balanced reading is that both agree Manju is alive and Rajesh was jailed for a murder that did not occur, the key difference is whether the story is primarily about a wrongful arrest and torture or about a missing-person case resolved. The sources name no next step beyond the DySP-led probe.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
Sources (2): deccanherald.com (neutral report), thehansindia.com (government critical)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
