For three weeks, civil contractor Prabhu Ratnakar had been telling police and his relatives that his wife Sarojini Prabhu, 44, had gone missing after she stepped out to a shop at Devar Heparaji in Vijayapura in Karnataka state. He joined the search and repeated his story before police dug up the couple’s yard and found her body.
Ratnakar (46 years old) was arrested on charges of murder, hiding his wife’s remains, and filing a missing person’s complaint to mislead investigators.
Police Inspector Lakshman Nimbaraji said investigators sensed something was wrong early on. “The police’s suspicions were proven. He was hiding something and tried to mislead the investigators, who finally arrested him.”
Police said the killing came after months of tension. Ratnakar had taken loans and issued checks in his wife’s name. A case of bounced check has been registered against her. Investigators said Prabhu was pressuring him to pay what he owed, and the arguments were frequent.
On the night of January 24, Ratnakar hit Prabhu on the head with a stick while the couple was arguing. I bled to death. Investigators said Ratnakar dug a hole in the compound and buried her.
On February 2, she was reported missing. He claimed she went out to buy groceries and never returned. He said he searched for her and called his relatives.
Investigating Inspector Sachin Alamlekar said Ratnakar’s behavior was worrying. “His abnormal behavior during interrogation led the police to suspect that he may have killed his wife,” he said.
