21-yr-old dies by suicide near bridge, ‘lover’ booked

Kalaburagi : In a tragic incident that has sent shockwaves through Kalaburagi district, a 21-year-old woman ended her life allegedly due to harassment by a youth and his family. The incident occurred on Monday near the Kurikota bridge in Kamalapur taluk.

The deceased has been identified as Sakshi Uppar, a resident of Bhusanagi village in Kamalapur. Acting on a complaint filed by Sakshi’s mother, Mahagaon police have registered an FIR against seven people, including the main accused Abhishek and his family members Archana, Sumitrabai, Namadev Malage, Aarti Malage, Keerthi Malage, another Abhishek, and Suhasini.

According to the complaint, Abhishek, the main accused, got acquainted with Sakshi through his sister Archana, who was Sakshi’s classmate.

Over time, Abhishek and Sakshi developed a romantic relationship. Two years ago, Abhishek moved to Dubai for work but allegedly continued to pressure Sakshi over the phone, repeatedly insisting that she marry him.

Sakshi’s mother claimed that when they informed Abhishek’s parents and sister about his persistent harassment, the accused family members came to their house, abused them in filthy language, and threatened Sakshi to marry Abhishek against her will. They also allegedly threatened the family with dire consequences if Sakshi refused.

In her complaint, Sakshi’s mother further alleged that Abhishek edited personal photos of Sakshi and shared them on social media to humiliate her.

Unable to bear the continued harassment, Sakshi reportedly left home on July 21, telling her younger sister she was going to the hospital but instead died by suicide near the Kurikota bridge.

On July 22, police and fire department personnel launched a search operation and recovered Sakshi’s body from the backwaters of the Bennethora reservoir.