Lady advocate's murder: Accused held in Madikeri

BENGALURU: The prime accused in the murder of woman advocate Jyothi was arrested by the Mahalakshmi Layout police in Madikeri on Monday night.

The accused, Madhu, 28, a BMTC bus conductor, was absconding after stabbing Jyothi, 26, to death near Anjaneya Temple at Mahalakshmi Layout second main road on Saturday evening.

DCP (North) Labhu Ram said that the police gathered credible information about the accused Madhu camping in Madikeri. On Monday night, the Mahalakshmi Layout police managed to nab him in Madikeri in coordination with the local police. He will be produced before the magistrate and we will seek his police custody as we need to interrogate him, he said.

Sources said that Madhu, during preliminary questioning, had confessed that he murdered Jyothi, as she was avoiding him and had turned down his repeated proposals to marry him.

“Though they were friends as they both hailed from a same village near Kanakapura, Jyothi had started avoiding him as he pestered her to marry him. He got frustrated and decided to murder her,” an official said.

The police had earlier arrested Madhu’s friend Shivaramu, who was caught by the public soon after the incident. Madhu escaped in an autorickshaw and had gone to Mysuru Road, from where he reportedly took a bus to Madikeri.

Was Jyothi a divorcee?
It is said that Jyothi was also in love with Madhu earlier. “As her parents learnt about it, they got her married to another man six years ago. However, the marriage failed and ended in divorce. Jyothi was in touch with Madhu and had reportedly told him they will get married once they both find good jobs. But after she started legal practice, she started avoiding him, which left Madhu frustrated,” another official said.