Harishchandra Acharya was murdered, claims wife

Harishchandra Acharya was murdered, claims wife

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Aug12,2012: Harishchandra Acharya’s family has alleged that he did not die by accidentally falling into a well this June, but was murdered. 

Speaking to reporters at a press conference held on August 11, Saturday, Deepa, wife of Harishchandra, said that they got married 3 years back and have two children. Besides, she is pregnant. The couple lived with Harischandra’s parents, brothers, and a sister. 

Relating the circumstances under which he died, she said that, on the day of his death, on June 24, at around 11:45 p.m., the deceased had played with the children as usual and gone to bed after having dinner. He had two mobile phones—a personal mobile, which he did not allow anybody to touch, and a general mobile, which others in the family also used at certain times. 

She said that her husband received a call from an unknown person at around 3:00 a.m., walked out of the house conversing with the caller, and never returned. His general mobile phone rang at around 4:30 a.m., but Deepa did not answer it as she was fast asleep. When it rang again at 5:15 a.m., she answered it. The caller was Damodar Acharya, her uncle. 

Her uncle informed her that a body has been found in the neighborhood well and wanted to know if Harishchandra was at home. Deepa got into a panic as Harishchandra was nowhere to be seen. They then rushed to the well, and when the body was retrieved, it turned out to be Harishchandra. The body was taken to a hospital for post mortem and the police registered a case of unnatural death. 

Deepa alleged that her husband had been having an affair with Vidya, a woman in the neighborhood, for almost one year. The lady used to call Harishchandra on his personal mobile every night, and when Deepa objected, Harishchandra would mentally and physically torture her. His own brothers had lodged an oral complaint against him at the Sampya Police Station, and the inspector had warned Harishchandra, following which the couple lived in peace. 

Deepa also raised several questions, which she claimed prove that her husband was murdered. How did Damodar Acharya, who called her at 4:30 a.m., come to know that her husband has fallen in the well? How could Damodar Acharya identify the body as that of her husband when it was found upside down in the well? How could the case be written off as suicide when post mortem reports clearly showed that there was no water in his stomach? How can be marks of blood clots from his cheek to his neck be explained? Who was the unknown person who called him at 3:00 a.m.? When Harishchandra knew swimming and had a rope to save himself, how could he commit suicide?

Besides, he had no major problems that could have driven him to suicide. Where did Harishchandra’s personal mobile phone and his gold ring disappear? She also said that Harishchandra had given a lot of jewelry to his girlfriend Vidya, who reportedly has another boyfriend in Vittal. This boyfriend was also seen in her house on that day. 

Deepa also alleged that the Sampya police asked her brother-in-law to sign a report that contains the very opposite of what they had stated. The police have not taken any statement from her, she added.