Relative held for anganwadi helper’s murder in Shikaripura

Shivamogga: Shivamogga district cops uncovered the mystery surrounding the death of a 53-year-old anganwadi helper in Bilaki village in Shikaripura taluk with the arrest of a distant relative.Prema Madiwala, a widow, who lived alone and worked as a cook at a local anganwadi, was found dead on Feb 14 under suspicious circumstances inside her rented house. The discovery was made after she failed to answer calls from her colleagues, prompting neighbours to check on her. They were met with a horrific sight: while the front gates and doors remained locked, the back door was open, and Prema's body was found naked in a pool of blood.
The investigation took a turn after a neighbour reported seeing a masked man fleeing the scene on a motorcycle around 11pm on Feb 13, hours before her body was discovered.While initially police ignored these details as a visiting relative, this lead proved crucial for Shiralakoppa police. A team, led by circle inspector Santhosh Patil and PSI Prashanth, tracked down and arrested 23-year-old Raghavendra, also known as Kodihalli Raghavendra alias Raghu. Shivamogga SP B Nikhil confirmed the arrest.Police said that Raghavendra, a resident of Kodihalli in Bengaluru, was known to the victim. He had recently returned from his place of work in Bengaluru. Sources said Raghu told cops that Prema passed away while they were engaged in a fight, however police suspect that he murdered her and fled the scene. Following a complaint filed by the victim's son, Manoj, the accused was arrested and produced before a local court, which has remanded him to judicial custody.The police are now waiting for final medical and forensic reports to determine the exact cause of death.