A Mysuru man falsely accused of murdering his wife, who was later found alive, has approached the High Court seeking Rs 5 crore as compensation for wrongful imprisonment and loss of reputation.

The petitioner, Suresh—a member of a tribal community—was arrested and jailed for 18 months after his wife Mallige went missing from Basavanahalli in Kushalnagar, under the jurisdiction of Madikeri Rural Police. The case dates back to 2020, when he filed a missing person complaint regarding his wife from Basavanahalli in Kushalnagar, Madikeri. Based on skeletal remains later recovered in the area, Bettadapura police registered a case and charged Suresh under Sections 498A (cruelty), 302 (murder), and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code, accusing him of mentally and physically harassing his wife and killing her on October 19, 2020.

Despite forensic reports showing no genetic match between the bones and Mallige, police proceeded with charges. A chargesheet was filed, and Suresh was imprisoned. The trial court later acquitted Suresh in April 2025 after Mallige was found alive and seen dining at a restaurant in Madikeri with another man. Despite the trial court clearing him of all charges, Suresh argues that the court failed to formally recognize him as a “victim” in its ruling.

Following the acquittal, the trial court had directed the Home Department to pay Suresh Rs one lakh as compensation and asked the Bettadapura police to remove his name from the FIR. The court also recommended departmental inquiry against officers involved in the faulty investigation—Inspector B.G. Prakash, DYSP Jitendra Kumar, and Inspectors Prakash Yattimani and B.G. Mahesh—for tampering with records and fabricating evidence.

In his High Court petition, Suresh contended that the Rs1 lakh compensation was insufficient. “I have lost 1.5 years of my life behind bars for a crime I never committed. I suffered severe social stigma and loss of dignity.

The government must pay Rs5 crore in damages and take action against the erring officers,” he said.

Suresh has also sought that official records reflect his status as a victim rather than an accused. The High Court is expected to take up the case for hearing shortly.

His petition argues that despite having clear evidence of his innocence — including DNA reports disproving the police’s claims — he was wrongfully incarcerated, causing irreparable damage to his social standing and mental health. The High Court is expected to take up the petition for detailed hearing in the coming days. The case raises critical questions about police accountability, misuse of power, and the mechanisms in place for compensating individuals who are wrongfully imprisoned due to flawed investigations. If admitted, this petition could set a significant precedent for wrongful arrest compensation cases in Karnataka and across India.