A woman has been arrested after killing her husband and attempting to deceive authorities by claiming he was mauled to death by a tiger.
The woman, identified as Sallapuri from the Mysuru district, allegedly murdered her 45-year-old husband, Venkataswamy, in a plot to claim hefty government compensation.
Police investigations revealed that she had poisoned her husband before hiding his body in a pile of cow dung behind their home. Initially, she told authorities that her husband had been dragged away by a tiger, citing recent sightings of the animal in the nearby Hejjur village.
Her story prompted a joint search operation by police and the Forest Department to locate the supposed remains. However, suspicions grew after checks around the couple’s home led to the grim discovery of the concealed body.
During interrogation, Sallapuri confessed to the murder, admitting that she had been motivated by compensation payouts of up to Rs15 lakh (about RM71,454) provided to families of victims killed in wild animal attacks.
According to police, the couple worked as laborers on a betel nut plantation. Sallapuri allegedly used rumors of a roaming tiger as cover for her crime, hoping to cash in on the government scheme.
The case has been registered at Hunasuru Rural Police Station, with further investigations underway.
