Bangalore, October 14
It’s a plot straight out of a celluloid pot-boiler, the only difference being that no good guy appeared in the end to give the villain a sound thrashing and rescue the heroine from his clutches.

Kannada movie starlet Hemashree (33) found herself caught in the web of the villain, who turned out to be her husband, a man double her age, who apparently killed her.

Surendra Babu, the accused, who fought the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Bangalore (North) constituency, is a real estate businessman and a rich man. He apparently won over Hemashree’s parents and persuaded them to give their daughter’s hand in marriage.

Hemashree’s father lodged a police complaint following her unnatural death, which led the police to arrest her husband.

Babu, who married Hemashree in June last year allegedly against her wishes, brought her to a private hospital in Bangalore on October 9. Babu claims that they were travelling towards their friend’s farmhouse in Ananthpur in Andhra Pradesh when she complained of uneasiness. But the hospital authorities refused to admit her as she was already dead.

The probe has revealed that their marriage was far from a happy one. Hemashree was apparently against marrying a person as old as Babu. She was also upset with her parents for forcing her to marry Babu. It is suspected that Hemashree may have been smothered to death. Her body bears three injury marks. Babu’s parents told the police that they were also against their son marrying an actress.

‘Unhappy’ marriage

* Hemashree (33) married Surendra Babu, a real estate businessman, in June last year against her wishes

* Died under mysterious circumstances while travelling with Babu towards Ananthpur

* Her body bore three injury marks

* Was reportedly upset with her parents for forcing her to marry Babu