Bengaluru Murder Case: Husband Arrested for Allegedly Killing Wife and Six Members of Her Family; Only One Body Found So Far

Bengaluru: A man has been arrested in Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, for allegedly killing his wife and six members of her family. The accused allegedly killed seven people at his house within two days over a family dispute and dumped the bodies at different places in Chikkaballapur district.

Rajajinagar police are investigating the case. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North Bengaluru, said the accused has been arrested and is being questioned for now.

Police Say Grinding Stone Was Used; Seven Victims Identified

According to the preliminary police investigation, the accused used a heavy grinding stone (sil-batta), commonly used in kitchens, to carry out the killings.

The dead have been identified as the accused's wife Sunita, mother-in-law Rupavati, two brothers-in-law Shivakumar and Shankar, Rupavati's daughters-in-law Divya and Nalini, and Shivakumar's seven-year-old son Puneeth.

Police said the accused, Shekar, and Sunita had been married for about 20 years. The couple had been having a domestic dispute for some time.

It is reportedly said that Sunita's family members often interfered in their quarrels and sided with her. Shekar believed his wife's family was interfering in his married life. For this reason, police said, he planned to target them.

Victims Called to the House Over Two Days, Say Police Sources

According to police sources, Shekar called all of them to his house in Rajajinagar over two days on different pretexts. He allegedly killed his wife Sunita first and then targeted his mother-in-law.

He then invited his two brothers-in-law, Shivakumar and Shankar, to his house on the pretext of a party. When he got the chance, he allegedly hit them on the head with the heavy grinding stone, killing both.

After this, he also killed Divya, Nalini and seven-year-old Puneeth.

Missing-Person Complaint Led to the Case

The case came to light when Nalini's mother filed a missing-person report at Srirampura police station. She had found no trace of her daughter, one of the family's daughters-in-law, for several days.

When police began investigating the complaint and went through the family's phone records, Shekar's activities appeared suspicious.

Police said that when Srirampura and Rajajinagar police arrested Shekar and questioned him rigorously, he confessed to committing all seven murders.

Boy's Body Found Near Nandi Hills; Search for Six Others On

According to police, the accused disposed of the bodies in deserted forests and valleys in Chikkaballapur district, about 60 to 70 kilometres from the city, allegedly to destroy evidence.

Police have recovered the body of seven-year-old Puneeth from near Nandi Hills, a well-known tourist spot in Chikkaballapur.

The accused remains in police custody. Police teams are carrying out an intensive search at several identified places to find the remaining six bodies.