Koppal court sentences man to life imprisonment for murdering wife

The Principal District and Sessions Court in Koppal has sentenced a man to life imprisonment and imposed on him a fine of ₹2 lakh for murdering his wife five years ago after subjecting her to physical and mental harassment over dowry and money.The convict, Manjunath, son of Hanamappa Kattimani, a resident of Basavanagar in Kushtagi town, was found guilty of murdering his wife, Manjula, by assaulting her on the head and face with a weapon and strangling her with a mobile phone charging cable.Delivering the judgment recently, Principal District and Sessions Judge Latha Kumari M. held that the charge against Manjunath has been proved and awarded him life imprisonment along with imposing a fine of ₹2 lakh on him.According to the prosecution, Manjula’s family gave to Manjunath ₹2 lakh in cash, five tolas of gold and household articles worth ₹80,000 at the time of the marriage. Manjula is survived by two daughters.The prosecution stated that Manjunath was harassing Manjula physically and mentally, demanding that she bring ₹5 lakh from her parental family to purchase a plot in Kushtagi.He was also involved in relationships with two more women which Manjula opposed.Despite Manjula securing employment as a laboratory technician at a COVID-19 centre in a government hospital, the harassment is said to have continued.Manjunath also drove her out of the house, forcing her to stay at her parental home in Yaddoni village for 20 days.Following the intervention of village elders, she was sent back to her husband’s house about a week before the murder.On July 30, 2021, at 6.30 a.m., Manjula’s father tried to contact her over phone but, she did not answer.When he contacted Manjunath to enquire about her whereabouts, the latter reportedly told him that she had gone missing since morning and that he was looking for her.Manjula’s father, along with his brother and other elders, subsequently came to Kushtagi and enquired about her.Manjunath then reportedly confessed to murdering her. They later found her body in a jowar field opposite a petrol bunk on Koppal Road in Kushtagi.According to the prosecution, Manjunath had taken Manjula out on the pretext of going for a morning walk between 5.30 a.m. and 6 a.m. on July 30, 2021.He assaulted her on the head and face with a weapon, strangled her using a mobile phone charging cable and dumped the body in the field in an attempt to destroy evidence.Kushtagi Police registered a case (Crime No 136/2021) under Sections 498A, 302, 201 and 304B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3, 4 and 6 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.Deputy Superintendent of Police R.S. Ujjanakoppa of Gangavati investigated the case and filed the charge-sheet before the Principal District and Sessions Court in Koppal.Public Prosecutor Bandi Aparna M. represented the State. Published - November 05, 2026 08:38 pm IST