In a real-life plot twist stranger than fiction, a man who mourned his wife, performed her last rites, and spent years behind bars for allegedly murdering her, was left stunned when she strolled back into town – very much alive and hand-in-hand with her lover.

The saga unfolded in the Karnataka’s Basavanahalli village of Kushalnagar Taluk, Kodagu District, where Suresh, a local resident, had once lived a quiet life with his wife, Mallige. That was until 2019, when she suddenly vanished without a trace.

Suresh, desperate for answers, combed through family networks and found whispers of an alleged extramarital affair. Despite heartbreak, he called Mallige, pleading her to at least remain in touch for the sake of their children. She never responded. Worried about being framed, he approached the Kushalnagar Police in 2021 and filed a missing person report.

But what followed was a cruel twist of fate.

A Skeleton, A Funeral, A Wrongful Accusation

In 2022, the police summoned Suresh, claiming his wife’s remains had been found near Bettadapura in Periyapatna Taluk. Accompanied by his mother-in-law, he was taken to view a skeleton and was told it was his wife. With heavy heart, he conducted her last rites.

However, soon after, authorities accused Suresh of murdering his wife. Despite vehement denials, he was arrested and thrown into jail.

It was only when a forensic DNA analysis of the skeletal remains revealed no genetic match to Mallige’s family that Suresh was exonerated and released from prison.

Years later, on April 1, 2025, Suresh’s nightmare took a surreal turn when his friends spotted Mallige casually checking into a hotel in Madikeri – alive, well, and accompanied by her lover. Shocked, they snapped photos and alerted authorities.

Police promptly took the woman into custody and produced her before a court in Mysuru.