Bengaluru Cab Driver Arrested for Allegedly Killing Seven Members of Wife’s Family
In a shocking case of multiple murders, Bengaluru police have arrested a cab driver for allegedly killing seven members of his wife’s family, including his wife and a seven-year-old boy, following prolonged domestic disputes.
The accused, identified as Indushekhar, was arrested by the Rajajinagar police. The alleged murders reportedly took place two days before the incident came to light.
The victims have been identified as Roopavathi, the accused’s mother-in-law; his wife Sunitha; her brothers Shivakumar and Shankar; their wives Divya and Nalini; and seven-year-old Puneeth, Sunitha’s nephew.
Police have recovered the body of Puneeth from an area near Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapur district. Search operations are underway to locate the bodies of the remaining six victims.
According to preliminary police findings, Indushekhar married Sunitha around 20 years ago. The couple allegedly had frequent arguments over Sunitha’s close association with her parental family. Her mother and brothers reportedly supported her during these disputes, which allegedly angered the accused.
Investigators suspect that Indushekhar had planned the killings in advance. He allegedly first murdered Sunitha at their residence by attacking her with a grinding stone. To avoid suspicion, he reportedly told her family members that she had gone on a trip with her friends.
The accused allegedly later invited his brothers-in-law, Shivakumar and Shankar, to his house on the pretext of consuming alcohol and murdered them. He is also accused of killing their wives, Divya and Nalini, his mother-in-law Roopavathi, and seven-year-old Puneeth.
The case came to light after Nalini went missing under mysterious circumstances, following which her mother lodged a complaint with the Srirampura police.
During the investigation, police questioned Indushekhar, whose allegedly contradictory statements raised suspicion. A search of his residence reportedly yielded clues linking him to the crime. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to the murders and disclosed that the bodies had been disposed of at different locations around Nandi Hills.
On Thursday, police took the accused to the area, where a search operation lasting nearly four hours led to the recovery of Puneeth’s body. Efforts are continuing to trace the remaining victims.
Police also suspect that the accused attempted to destroy evidence by cleaning bloodstains and washing the grinding stone allegedly used in the murders. The car reportedly used to transport the bodies has also been seized.
Senior police officers, including West Division Joint Commissioner Vamsi Krishna and North Division DCP Nemagowda, are supervising the investigation. A special team comprising three Assistant Commissioners of Police has been formed to recover the remaining bodies and collect further evidence.
Preliminary information suggests that Indushekhar was running a newspaper titled Thana Varadi and had been living in a rented house near Bhashyam Circle for the past eight years. Police are also examining allegations of a dispute between the accused and the owner of the building where he resided.
Further investigation is underway.
