Belagavi woman killed by husband after seeking divorce, accused absconding
Synopsis
A 31-year-old woman in Belagavi's Bailahongala was allegedly bludgeoned to death by her husband after she sought a divorce — the latest in a troubling pattern of fatal retaliatory violence against Karnataka women who initiate separation. The accused remains at large, and the case highlights repeated failures to protect women at the most dangerous moment of a marriage breakdown.
Key Takeaways
Lakshmi Madamageri , 31 , was allegedly killed by husband Raju Madamageri on 29 September 2026 in Amaturu village, Bailahongala taluk, Belagavi .
Raju allegedly lured her from her workplace on the pretext of dropping her home, then struck her with a stone; he is currently absconding .
The couple had been married for about five years ; Lakshmi had reportedly filed for divorce before the attack.
Karnataka has seen at least three similar cases since 2022 — in Bengaluru ( December 2025 ), Yellapur ( January 2026 ), and Hassan ( August 2022 ) — where women were killed after seeking separation.
Bailahongala police have registered a case and launched a manhunt; no arrest has been made yet.
A 31-year-old woman was allegedly killed by her husband on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, in Amaturu village of Bailahongala taluk, Belagavi district, Karnataka, after she had sought a divorce from him. The deceased has been identified as Lakshmi Madamageri, a resident of Gollara Oni in Bailahongala town. Her husband, Raju Madamageri, is currently absconding after allegedly attacking her with a stone and fleeing the scene.
How the Incident Unfolded
According to police, Raju and Lakshmi had married roughly five years ago after a courtship, but marital differences emerged over the following years. Lakshmi had reportedly sought a divorce, which investigators believe triggered the fatal attack.
Police said Raju allegedly approached Lakshmi at her workplace near Amaturu village on the pretext of dropping her home. He then allegedly struck her with a stone, bludgeoning her to death on the spot, before fleeing. A case has been registered and the Bailahongala police have launched a search operation to trace and arrest him.
Pattern of Domestic Violence Linked to Divorce Requests in Karnataka
This is not an isolated occurrence. Karnataka has recorded several deeply troubling cases in recent years where women were targeted after initiating separation proceedings.
In December 2025, Bhuvaneshwari, a 39-year-old assistant manager at the Basaveshwaranagar branch of Union Bank of India in Bengaluru, was shot dead on 1st Main Road in the Rajajinagar Industrial Area around 6:30 pm — barely a week after she sent her estranged husband a divorce notice. Her husband, Balamurugan, 40, who had worked at multinational IT firm Capgemini, allegedly fired four rounds at close range as she was returning home from work. He later surrendered at Magadi Road police station. Bhuvaneshwari lived in Rajajinagar with her two children.
In January 2026, a divorced woman named Ranjita was stabbed to death in Yellapur after she allegedly refused a marriage proposal from a man named Rafiq. The accused subsequently died by suicide, and the incident triggered local protests.
Earlier, in August 2022, a 24-year-old woman, Chaitra, was hacked to death by her estranged husband, Shivakumar, inside the Holenarsipur court premises in Hassan district immediately after a divorce mediation session.
Investigation Status
Bailahongala police have registered a case and are actively working to trace Raju Madamageri. Further investigation is underway, according to officials. No arrest has been made as of the time of this report.
Broader Context
The recurring nature of these incidents has drawn attention to systemic gaps in protective mechanisms for women who initiate divorce or separation in India. Critics argue that existing legal provisions — including restraining orders and fast-track court procedures — are often not activated in time to prevent retaliatory violence. Women's rights groups have repeatedly called for stricter implementation of domestic violence laws and more robust police protocols when a woman reports marital conflict or files for separation.
Point of View
Bengaluru, Yellapur, Hassan — follows the same script: a woman exercises a legal right to end her marriage, and pays with her life. The pattern is too consistent to be treated as isolated crime; it points to a structural failure where the period between a woman filing for divorce and the court granting it is the most dangerous window of her life, yet it receives the least institutional attention. Police first-response protocols when marital disputes are reported rarely include a risk-assessment or a safety plan for the woman. Karnataka, like most Indian states, has the legal architecture — protection orders under the Domestic Violence Act, fast-track courts — but enforcement lags fatally behind. Until that gap closes, each new case is less a tragedy than a predictable outcome.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Lakshmi Madamageri and what happened to her?
Lakshmi Madamageri was a 31-year-old woman from Gollara Oni in Bailahongala town, Belagavi district, Karnataka. She was allegedly killed on 29 September 2026 by her husband, Raju Madamageri, who struck her with a stone near Amaturu village after she had reportedly sought a divorce from him.
Is the accused, Raju Madamageri, in custody?
No. Raju Madamageri fled the scene after the alleged attack and is currently absconding. Bailahongala police have registered a case and are conducting a search operation to trace and arrest him.
What was the motive behind the attack, according to police?
According to police, the couple had developed marital differences over several years and Lakshmi had reportedly sought a divorce. Investigators believe this triggered the alleged attack by her husband.
Are there similar cases of women being killed after seeking divorce in Karnataka?
Yes. Karnataka has recorded at least three comparable cases in recent years — Bhuvaneshwari in Bengaluru in December 2025, Ranjita in Yellapur in January 2026, and Chaitra in Hassan in August 2022 — all involving women targeted after initiating separation or rejecting a relationship.
What legal recourse exists for women facing threats after filing for divorce in India?
Women can seek protection orders under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, and approach fast-track courts for expedited hearings. Critics argue, however, that enforcement of these provisions is inconsistent and that police protocols for assessing risk to women who report marital conflict remain inadequate in practice.
