Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

BANGALORE: "Why did you kill my wife? What will happen to my daughter? Who will take care of her?" It was sheer agony as a shattered husband and father confronted his wife’s killer.

 To which a fatalistic Dhanaraj replied: "Kill me for what I’ve done."

 It was a spontaneous outburst by Sunitha’s husband Kumar Ningappa when he ran into Dhanaraj Chikka Narasimhaiah at the High Grounds police station late Thursday night, hours after the horrific incident.

 Police on Friday produced Dhanaraj before the II ACMM court and the judge handed him to police custody for a day.

 DCP (Central) BR Ravikanthe Gowda said Dhanaraj was madly in love with Sunitha but the latter didn’t reciprocate as she considered him to be just a family friend. "Dhanaraj knew Sunitha for eight years and the two families were close to each other. It was during the past three months, when Sunitha began distancing herself from Dhanaraj after resisting his overtures, that the latter got upset," Gowda said.

 Investigating police officials said Sunitha’s father Sanne Gowda had advised her not to interact with Dhanaraj, as neighbours suspected them of having affair. "Dhanaraj’s wife told us that Dhanaraj and Sunitha were close friends, but were not in a relationship. Sunitha was very close to Dhanaraj’s two daughters, aged 13 and 5. She was very fond of the younger girl," Dhanaraj’s wife told police.

 Sunitha’s parents Sanne Gowda and Gangamma were away from the city when the tragedy took place, police said. "They reached the city at midnight and were in no position to react," police said.

Village connection

 It was in 2006 that Dhanaraj met Sunitha and Kumar at an orchestra performance in Kempegowda Nagar. They grew close after discovering they shared a common bond: their native village Ankahalli in Magadi. "Since then, the two families were very friendly. Dhanaraj, who owns an orchestra band, would drop Sunitha to her workplace every day. After her father told her to drop this habit, Sunitha started commuting on her own and this irritated Dhanaraj," police said.

 Last month, Dhanaraj tried to resolve the issue with Sunitha with a text message, asking her for the reason behind her sudden decision to avoid him. "But Sunitha refused to react and reportedly told Dhanaraj that she would tell his wife if he continued to pester her," police added.

Cremated in village

 Sunitha was cremated on Friday at Ankahalli in Magadi town, around 70km from Bangalore.

 Sunitha is survived by husband Kumar, a daughter, parents, three elder brothers and a younger sister. Her eight year old daughter is a special child, and is being cared for by her grandparents at their home in Magadi. Kumar works in a plastic factory on Magadi Road.