Padmapriya’s last rites performed in Udupi

The last rites of BJP MLA Raghupathi Bhat’s wife Padmapriya, who committed suicide in a flat in Delhi on Sunday, were performed at Udupi in coastal Karnataka yesterday.

Padmapriya’s body, which was overnight brought to Bangalore from Delhi, reached Bajpe airport in Mangalore yesterday morning before being taken to Udupi by her husband and other family members.

Emotional scenes were witnessed when Raghupathi Bhat and his elder son consigned the mortal remains of Padmapriya to flames in Udupi. A large number of people had gathered to witnessed the last rites of Padmapriya, who went missing from the town last week only to end her life in a flat in Delhi under mysterious circumstances.

However, police officials have confirmed that the preliminary investigations into the death of Padmapriya, 32, have ruled out foul play. “The report of the post mortem conducted on her at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi indicate that it was a clear suicide”, police officials said.

Meanwhile, Karnataka’s Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) A R Infant has left for New Delhi to oversee the continuing investigation into Padmapriya’s death.

Inspector General of Police A M Prasad told reporters that the Delhi police is expected to hand over the investigation into the entire matter to Karnataka as they have registered only a case of unnatural death.

In this backdrop, Infant will guide the police team from Karnataka that is camping in Delhi in connection with the case.