Constable Lokanath, who was serving at the SP office in Hassan, reportedly attacked his wife, Mamatha, aged 37, when she visited the office to file a complaint against him. During their altercation, Lokanath allegedly stabbed his wife, resulting in fatal injuries.
Karnataka: Today (3rd July): One of the first cases under the newly implemented Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 in Karnataka, a police constable has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife. The incident took place at the office of the Hassan Superintendent of Police.
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Constable Lokanath, who was serving at the SP office in Hassan, reportedly attacked his wife, Mamatha, aged 37, when she visited the office to file a complaint against him. During their altercation, Lokanath allegedly stabbed his wife, resulting in fatal injuries.
“This might be the first instance under the BNS where a police officer is being charged for a criminal act in Karnataka,” noted a senior police officer handling the case. Following the incident, Hassan city police acted swiftly under Section 103 of the BNS, which prescribes the death penalty or life imprisonment, along with a fine, for the crime of murder.
Authorities revealed that the couple had a strained relationship. Mamatha intended to meet Mohammad Sujeetha MS, the Superintendent of Police of Hassan, to lodge her complaint, but Lokanath confronted her before she could do so. After the stabbing, Lokanath fled the scene but was apprehended shortly after by the police.
Eyewitnesses and police officials at the scene immediately transported Mamatha to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead upon arrival. The tragic event has sparked public outcry, with her family members and local residents staging protests demanding justice for Mamatha.
The BNS, along with the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), forms part of a comprehensive overhaul of India’s criminal justice system. These new codes aim to replace the longstanding IPC, the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively.
