Rafiq Yallur, who was accused of killing a midday meal worker at Yellapur in Uttara Kannada district, was found dead on Sunday.
Some farmers noticed his body in a forest near Yellapur and informed the police.
He was facing charges of stabbing Ranjita Bansode, 31, at Kalamma Nagar in Yellapur on Saturday. She died on the way to hospital.
The police, who had registered a case against the accused, said that it was likely that he had attacked her after she rejected his offer to marry him.
“He had approached her earlier also, but she had not agreed. He stopped visiting their home after her family warned him. It is not sure if they had a relationship,’’ a police officer told reporters in Yellapur on Saturday.
Ranjita was a divorcee with a 10-year-old son. She was living with her sister’s family. She worked in the local school as a midday meal staff. Shivaram Hebbar, MLA, visited the victim’s family.
According to a complaint given by Akshata Bansode, the victim’s sister, Rafiq was Ranjita’s childhood classmate. After she returned to Yellapur from Solapur in Maharashtra where she had been living, Rafiq was pestering her to marry him.
“She had stopped meeting him or taking his calls after her sisters and mother warned him. But he kept calling her repeatedly,’’ Ms. Akshata Bansode, said in her complaint.
Police had registered a complaint under some sections of BNS and Prevention of atrocities against SC/ST communities Act.
Meanwhile, members of some Hindutva organisations protested against the killing of the woman in Yellapur on Sunday.
They protested in front of the police station and shouted slogans against the police. The victim’s brother joined the protest.
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Published – January 04, 2026 06:59 pm IST
