Udupi: A bench of Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara did not allow the request to grant bail to 50-year-old Rajeshwari Shetty which was made by senior advocate Basava Prabhu Patil, after Karnataka police lawyer Joseph Aristotle contended the investigation was still on. Aristotle said a supplementary charge sheet will be filed soon against 26-year-old Niranjan Bhat, the priest.

Patil sought bail for the woman, saying “the petitioner is woman and all the properties of the family are sought to be taken away by the people around.” He also questioned the prosecution claim of illicit relationship between the petitioner and Bhat as he was just 26-year-old old.

Patil also submitted she has been in custody since August last year and the investigation with regard to her was over with the filing of the charge sheet. He even expressed readiness that the petitioner would stay away from Udupi district and remain either in Bengaluru or Mumbai, if enlarged on bail.

“Our fear is that she may tamper with evidence as most of the witnesses in the case are close relatives. The case is based on circumstantial evidence and further probe is on as her paramour Bhat has recently been arrested,” he said, opposing the bail plea.

According to prosecution, Rajeshwari, along with her 20-year-old son, threw chilly powder into the eyes of her husband Bhasker Shetty and assulted him with rod. Thereafter, the accused tied victim’s hands and feet and administered poison to him. Later, they carried the body of the victim to the home of Bhat and burnt it by organising ’Yagna’. Further, to destroy the evidence, the bones and body parts were thrown in the river.