Bengaluru serial murders: Cab driver arrested after killing 7 in-laws, daughter

A cab driver arrested for allegedly murdering seven members of his wife's family in Bengaluru had planned the killings over several days and disposed of the bodies at different locations, police said on Friday. Investigators are also examining the alleged role of his 17-year-old daughter, with Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge claiming that the accused had brainwashed her and made her assist in the crime.

The accused, identified as Indushekar, was arrested by the Rajajinagar police. The seven victims include his wife Sunitha, mother-in-law Roopavathi, brothers-in-law Shivakumar and Shankar, their wives Divya and Nalini, and seven-year-old Puneeth.

According to the police, the murders began on October 16 and were allegedly carried out over a period of nearly 20 days. The accused is suspected of inviting relatives to his rented house near Bhashyam Circle, sometimes on the pretext of hosting a meal featuring mutton dishes. He allegedly mixed sleeping tablets into the food and attacked the victims after they became unconscious, using a grinding stone and other means.

Police said Indushekar transported the bodies in his car and disposed of them at different locations, including Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapur district, Charmadi Ghat in the Mangaluru region and parts of Tamil Nadu. The body of Puneeth has been recovered near Nandi Hills, while search operations are continuing to trace the remaining victims.

Daughter's alleged role under investigation

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Home Minister Priyank Kharge said preliminary findings suggested that the accused had involved his daughter in the killings.

"He has brainwashed his daughter for the abetment of the crime. He targeted his wife's relatives and killed them. He subsequently disposed of the bodies in different districts. Whether the murders were committed over property or some other issue is yet to be established," Kharge said.

He described the incident as a suspected pre-planned conspiracy rather than a stray crime. The accused had allegedly complained of harassment by his wife's family and claimed that he was suffering from depression.

"The accused claims that he was harassed by his wife's family and was in a depression. Let us not jump to conclusions. The facts are yet to be established," the Home Minister said, adding that investigators expected to get a clearer picture within two or three days.

Police are trying to trace the 17-year-old daughter, who is reportedly missing. She is a Pre-University College student. Investigators suspect that she helped her father contact relatives and persuade them to visit the house. They are also examining whether she had prior knowledge of the killings and continued inviting family members while the crimes were allegedly being committed.

Preliminary information suggests that the accused retained the victims' mobile phones after killing them and used them to send messages to relatives, creating the impression that the family had gone on a trip. Police are examining messages that reportedly told relatives the family was travelling to the Hogenakkal area for three days.

The messages were sent during the Dasara festival period, and relatives initially did not suspect anything. However, when they failed to get responses to repeated calls, they visited the house and found it locked. The accused's daughter had also allegedly called other family members to the house, saying she wanted to have a good meal as her mother had gone on a trip.

Domestic disputes and property angle being examined

During interrogation, Indushekar allegedly told police that he and his wife had frequent arguments and that she had mentally harassed him for nearly 20 years. He reportedly claimed that her mother and brothers always supported her during their disputes and that his wife treated him as a "useless man".

Police sources said the accused had allegedly first killed his wife at their residence by attacking her with a grinding stone. He then reportedly told her relatives that she had gone on a trip with friends to avoid raising suspicion.

The accused is also suspected of inviting his brothers-in-law, Shivakumar and Shankar, to his house on the pretext of drinking alcohol before killing them. Their wives, Divya and Nalini, and his mother-in-law, Roopavathi, were also allegedly murdered.

However, the victims' relatives have rejected the accused's claims and questioned why he would target the entire family if his dispute was only with his wife. They have also raised the possibility of a property dispute being behind the killings.

"If he was unhappy with his wife, why did he want to kill the others?" family members asked.

Police began suspecting Indushekar after Nalini's disappearance was reported and relatives approached the Srirampura police. During questioning, his statements allegedly contradicted one another, prompting investigators to search his residence, where they reportedly found clues linked to the murders.

Investigators also tracked the locations of the missing persons' mobile phones. The devices reportedly showed a common location, raising suspicion and leading police to take the accused into custody.

Police search for remaining bodies

Police said the accused allegedly cleaned bloodstains and washed the grinding stone used in the crime. His car, which was allegedly used to transport the bodies, has been seized.

Indushekar had been living in a rented house near Bhashyam Circle for the past eight years and was reportedly running a newspaper titled 'Thana Varadi'. Police are also examining reports of a dispute between him and the building owner, against whom he had allegedly filed a case.

The accused was taken to Nandi Hills on Thursday as part of the search operation. After nearly four hours of searching, police recovered Puneeth's body. Teams are continuing searches at other locations to trace the remaining victims and collect evidence.

Senior 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 under the DCP's leadership.

Police are examining the sequence of events, the alleged involvement of the accused's daughter and possible motives, including domestic disputes and a property-related angle. Further investigation is underway.

(With IANS inputs)