Mysuru, (Karnataka) June 23 (IANS) Karnataka Police have arrested Ullas Gowda, the prime accused in a case involving the alleged circulation of a young woman’s private photographs and videos, which is suspected to have driven her and her parents to die by suicide in Mysuru district, police said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at Halekempayyanahundi village in T. Narasipura taluk on Monday. The deceased were identified as Rakshita, whose wedding was scheduled to take place on June 24, and her parents, Shivanna and Nagaratna.

According to police, the three family members allegedly consumed poison and died by suicide after private photographs and videos of Rakshita were reportedly circulated. The case was registered under the jurisdiction of the Varuna Police Station.

Following the incident, Ullas Gowda allegedly went absconding, prompting Mysuru Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baladandi to constitute a special team to trace and apprehend him.

The team, led by Inspectors Dhananjay and Shivananda Shetty, tracked down and arrested the accused in Mysuru. He was subsequently produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody.

Investigators said Ullas Gowda was known to the family and used to visit their residence occasionally. Family members alleged that he circulated Rakshita’s private photographs and videos to her fiancé with the intention of disrupting the marriage.

Police are also probing how the accused obtained the photographs and videos. The family has alleged that Rakshita was subjected to severe harassment.

The deaths triggered widespread outrage in the village, with residents staging a protest and demanding the immediate arrest of the accused. Protesters reportedly prevented police from shifting the bodies for post-mortem examinations and other legal formalities until action was taken against Gowda.

Police have registered a case and said further investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances leading to the deaths and the alleged role of the accused in the incident.

In other troubling instances in the district in recent past, a 65-year-old garment trader in Mandya district allegedly killed his wife and son before ending his own life, leaving behind a purported suicide note pointing to mounting debts, loan repayment pressure and business losses linked to the state’s free bus travel scheme. The deceased were later identified as Prabhakar (65), his wife Jyothi (55) and their son Santosh (28).

In March 2026, a 27-year-old man slit the throats of his mother and sister, and critically injured his nephew over mounting debt before attempting to end his own life. The accused Mohan Gowda reportedly killed his mother Asha (55) and sister Varshita (34) and injured Varshita’s 11-year-old son Mayank.

–IANS

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