Vijayapura: The bodies of a mother and her five minor children were discovered on Wednesday morning in Bhootanala Lake, located on the outskirts of Vijayapura city in North Karnataka, prompting an extensive police investigation into their deaths. Authorities are currently treating the incident as a suspected suicide, though the possibility of a crime remains unaddressed.
The deceased have been identified as Shobha Jalageri and her children Vidya, Suvarna (14), Gowdesh (10), Vikas (5), and Sanika (7). The family hailed from Toravi village in Tikota taluk, Vijayapura district. Vijayapura Superintendent of Police, Lakshman Nimbargi, confirmed that police received information about six bodies floating in the lake at approximately 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday. Police personnel, alongside Fire and Emergency Services, immediately arrived at the scene to begin identification and recovery efforts.
Initial inquiries quickly connected the discovery to a missing persons complaint filed on Monday at the Vijayapura Rural police station. Shobha's husband, Bheemaraya, had reported his family missing. Preliminary investigation indicated that Shobha had a quarrel with her husband on August 24. During this dispute, she reportedly threatened to leave home and end her life along with her children.
According to SP Nimbargi, Shobha departed from their home around 6 a.m. following the altercation, initially taking four of her children. She subsequently went to a residential school to collect her fifth son, who had hearing difficulties. Investigators noted that Shobha's mobile phone was left at home, hindering efforts to trace their movements before the tragic discovery.
While investigators lean towards suicide as a prima facie possibility, the exact cause and manner of death await confirmation from postmortem examination. Police suspect a family dispute, possibly triggered by preparations for the auspicious Shravan Somavara on Monday, may have escalated into the devastating outcome. Deputy Superintendent of Police Nagaraj and Adarshnagar police personnel are actively involved in the ongoing investigation to establish the full sequence of events.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Mangalorean News