Wrongly jailed Kodagu man seeks ₹5 crore compensation after wife found alive

In April 2025, the 5th Additional District and Sessions Court in Mysuru acquitted Suresh, ruling that the charges were baseless according to reports.

Bengaluru/Mysuru: In a dramatic case of mistaken identity and alleged police misconduct, a tribal man from Kodagu district has approached the Karnataka High Court demanding ₹5 crore in compensation after spending nearly 18 months behind bars for a crime he did not commit.

Suresh, a member of a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) from Basavanahalli village in Kushalnagar taluk in Kodagu was arrested in 2020 on charges of murdering his wife, Mallige, who had gone missing. Ironically, it was Suresh himself who had reported her disappearance to the Kushalnagar Rural Police. However, the Bettadapura police registered a murder case after skeletal remains of a woman were discovered in their jurisdiction and allegedly coerced Suresh into confessing.

More than a year later, DNA tests revealed the skeleton was not Mallige’s. She was eventually found alive in Shettihalli village near Madikeri, living with another man.

In April 2025, the 5th Additional District and Sessions Court in Mysuru acquitted Suresh, ruling that the charges were baseless according to reports. The court also directed the Karnataka Home Department to pay him ₹1 lakh in compensation and ordered the booking of Inspector Prakash B.G. for fabricating evidence, a report in the media stated.

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Unsatisfied with both the compensation and the limited accountability fixed by the lower court, Suresh has now moved the High Court. His petition seeks enhanced compensation of ₹5 crore and legal action against five police officials: then Investigating Officer Inspector Prakash B.G., then Additional SP Jitendra Kumar, Sub-Inspectors Prakash Yattimani and Mahesh B.K., and ASI Somashekara.

The appeal alleges that the officials fabricated evidence, manipulated the investigation, and falsely implicated him, leading to severe emotional and social trauma. It also seeks a revision of the Sessions Court order to replace the term “accused” with “victim” when referring to Suresh, to reflect his wrongful incarceration and clear his name officially.

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