Bengaluru: A Mysuru man falsely accused of murdering his wife, who was later found alive, has approached the Karnataka High Court seeking ₹5 crore as compensation for wrongful imprisonment and loss of reputation.

The petitioner, Suresh—a member of a tribal community—was arrested and jailed for 18 months after his wife Mallige went missing from Basavanahalli in Kushalnagar, under the jurisdiction of Madikeri Rural Police. Based on skeletal remains later recovered in the area, Bettadapura police registered a case and charged Suresh under Sections 498A (cruelty), 302 (murder), and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code.

Despite forensic reports showing no genetic match between the bones and Mallige, police proceeded with charges. The trial court later acquitted Suresh in April 2025 after Mallige was found alive and seen dining at a restaurant in Madikeri with another man.

Following the acquittal, the trial court had directed the Home Department to pay Suresh ₹1 lakh as compensation and asked the Bettadapura police to remove his name from the FIR. The court also recommended departmental inquiry against officers involved in the faulty investigation—Inspector B.G. Prakash, DYSP Jitendra Kumar, and Inspectors Prakash Yattimani and B.G. Mahesh—for tampering with records and fabricating evidence.

In his High Court petition, Suresh contended that the ₹1 lakh compensation was insufficient. “I have lost 1.5 years of my life behind bars for a crime I never committed. I suffered severe social stigma and loss of dignity. The government must pay ₹5 crore in damages and take action against the erring officers,” he said.

Suresh has also sought that official records reflect his status as a victim rather than an accused. The High Court is expected to take up the case for hearing shortly.