Bangalore : The Hebbal police, who are investigating actor-anchor Hemashree’s murder, filed the charge sheet against her husband Surendra Babu and his driver Satish, charging them with first degree murder.

The police had arrested Surendra Babu on October 9, based on circumstantial evidence, and later picked up Satish from Goa where he was holed up. Hemashree (33) died of chloroform overdose and was pronounced dead at the Baptist Hospital here.

On October 8 last year, Surendra Babu asked Satish to drive him and his wife to Hyderabad, and the police suspect the chloroform had already been administered to her even before the couple set off. On reaching Anantapur, Surendra Babu (52) asked Satish to veer off into a farmhouse, where the two carried an unconscious Hemashree into the room. Surendra Babu told Satish to return to Bangalore after which the latter fled. On being informed about some suspicious activity on his property, the farmhouse owner persuaded Surendra Babu to take Hemashree to hospital.

Sensing something amiss, Baptist Hospital called the jurisdictional Hebbal police. The post-mortem report confirmed death due to repeated administration of chloroform.

Surendra Babu later confessed to the police he had forced her to breathe chloroform to quieten her as she was resisting the journey.

“We have over about 70 witnesses for the case and have filed a 276-page charge-sheet before the second Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court,” said a senior police official.