BENGALURU: A prolonged marital dispute, resentment towards his wife’s family and alleged humiliation appear to have led to the killing of seven members of a family in Bengaluru’s Srirampura locality.Police suspect that the accused, Indushekar, was angered by his wife Sunita’s frequent visits to her parental home and the support she received from her mother and brothers.Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge said on Friday that the accused had claimed he was humiliated by his wife’s family. He also indicated that the killings appeared to have been pre-planned.“It is a very unfortunate incident and looks like it was pre-planned within the family. The accused claims that he was humiliated by his wife’s side,” Kharge said, as quoted by news agency ANI.The couple had been married for around 20 years and frequently quarrelled over Sunita’s visits to her parental home, according to preliminary police findings. Attempts by relatives to reconcile them failed to resolve their differences.Police suspect that the prolonged domestic discord and Indushekar’s resentment towards his wife’s family may have driven him to target her relatives.Who were the seven victims?The victims have been identified as Indushekar’s wife, Sunita; his mother-in-law, Roopavati; his brothers-in-law, Shivakumar and Shankar; their wives, both named Divya; and Shankar’s seven-year-old son, Puneeth.Police have so far recovered Puneeth’s body. The remaining six bodies are suspected to have been dumped at different locations in Bengaluru and neighbouring districts, including Chikkaballapur.How the ‘killings’ unfolded?According to preliminary findings, the murders took place at Indushekar’s house on 59th Cross, near Bahsyam Circle, in Srirampura, under the jurisdiction of Rajajinagar police station.Indushekar allegedly first killed Sunita using a grinding stone. He wrapped her body in cloth and dumped it near Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapur district.He subsequently switched off her mobile phone and allegedly told neighbours that she had gone on a trip, apparently to avoid suspicion.The following day, he allegedly invited his brothers-in-law, Shivakumar and Shankar, to his house for a party. He is suspected to have killed them using the same grinding stone before targeting their wives, both named Divya, his mother-in-law, Roopavati, and Shankar’s seven-year-old son, Puneeth.The alleged murders came to light after a missing-person complaint was lodged, prompting police to investigate the disappearance of family members.Chemicals allegedly used to erase bloodstainsAfter the killings, Indushekar allegedly used chemicals to clean the house and remove bloodstains, according to police sources.Police have seized the grinding stone suspected to have been used in the murders and the car allegedly used to transport the bodies.Investigators suspect that the bodies were disposed of at different locations, including Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapur and Charmadi Ghat in coastal Karnataka. Search operations are under way to trace the remaining victims.Did accused’s minor daughter help him carry out the killings?Police are also investigating whether anyone assisted Indushekar in carrying out the murders and disposing of the bodies.His minor daughter is among those being questioned over her possible role in the case.Investigators are yet to establish whether the accused acted alone.They are also examining how the killings went unnoticed despite taking place inside a house in a residential neighbourhood.Further investigation is under way to establish the exact sequence of events and verify the accused’s account.(With agency inputs)
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