Divorced woman murdered for refusing marriage proposal; accused Rafiq s body found in forest

Yellapur (Uttara Kannada): In a shocking development in the brutal murder case of a divorced woman who refused a marriage proposal, the prime accused Rafiq (30) was found dead after allegedly hanging himself in a forest area of Yellapur taluk in Uttara Kannada district.

Rafiq, who had gone absconding after allegedly stabbing Ranjitha to death on Friday, was found dead in the Kaalammanagar forest on Saturday. The incident came to light when police, along with a dog squad, intensified the search operation to trace the accused. During the combing operation, Rafiq’s body was discovered hanging from a tree, police said.

Ranjitha, who had divorced her husband nearly ten years ago, was living with her parents and brother in Yellapur and had a child. She was working as a mid-day meal assistant at a government school to support her family. Police said Rafiq had been in love with Ranjitha for several years, and both families were on friendly terms. He frequently visited her house and shared meals with the family.

However, in recent months, Rafiq had been pressuring Ranjitha to marry him. She had reportedly made it clear that she did not wish to remarry and wanted their relationship to remain as it was. Her refusal allegedly angered Rafiq.

According to the police, on Friday, as Ranjitha was returning home from school, Rafiq intercepted her on the road and again raised the issue of marriage. When she firmly refused, he allegedly stabbed her multiple times with a knife and fled into the nearby forest.

Investigations also revealed that Rafiq and Ranjitha’s brother were friends and had reportedly attended a party together the night before the murder, adding a disturbing dimension to the case.

The murder triggered strong public outrage in Yellapur. Several Hindu organisations condemned the killing and had called for a Yellapur bandh on Saturday, urging shop owners to close establishments in protest. Preparations were underway for a demonstration at Basaveshwara Circle, and some organisations had even demanded that Ranjitha’s last rites should not be conducted until the accused was arrested.

However, tensions eased after news emerged that Rafiq had died by suicide. Police have initiated further investigation and are awaiting post-mortem reports to confirm the exact cause of death.

Authorities have appealed to the public to maintain peace and assured that all legal procedures will be followed in the case.

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