'Wanted to start new life': More skeletons tumble out in Bengaluru double murder

BENGALURU: The deaths of a 36-year-old man and his four-year-old son at their home in Chikkabanavara, Bengaluru, are being investigated as a double murder, with police arresting the man’s wife and her alleged boyfriend.Police identified the accused as A Harini, 26, and Vinay Kumar, a factory worker. The two, who became friends through social media about two years ago, have been remanded in police custody for five days for questioning.Call to police raises suspicionPolice said Harini called the police control room around 7am on Monday, claiming that her husband Abhinandan and their son Yaduveer were lying motionless inside their residence in Guddebasaveshwara.When police reached the house, they noticed several inconsistencies.CCTV cameras inside and outside the house had been switched off around 10pm on Sunday. There were also no signs of forced entry. Investigators found that call logs and messages had been deleted from Harini’s phone.Police said Harini initially gave contradictory answers during questioning before allegedly admitting to the crime.Police reconstruct sequence of eventsAccording to police, Harini allegedly let Vinay into the house around 11pm. He had been waiting outside for her signal and switched off his mobile phone before entering.Abhinandan was in the bathroom when the attack began. Police said the duo assaulted him and repeatedly dashed his head against the wall before Vinay allegedly choked him.The commotion woke Yaduveer, who came towards the bathroom and saw his father being attacked. The child screamed on witnessing the assault.Harini allegedly took Yaduveer into the bedroom and threatened him, telling him to go back to sleep.Vinay then allegedly dragged Abhinandan’s body into the bedroom, where the two placed it on the bed.Police said the duo then decided to kill Yaduveer because he had witnessed the attack.Harini and Vinay have given conflicting accounts of the child’s death. While Harini is said to have claimed that Vinay smothered the boy, Vinay accused Harini of killing him.Eye on property?DCP (northwest division) Nagesh DL said the accused had initially planned to eliminate Abhinandan. However, the situation took a darker turn when the child witnessed the attack.Police suspect the alleged motive was both personal and financial. Preliminary inquiry suggests that Harini and Vinay believed Abhinandan’s death would leave Harini as the owner of his property, including the family home and three acres of land in Kunigal.Troubled marriageFamily members told police that Harini and Abhinandan had a troubled marriage.A relative said Harini left the house in January following frequent disputes but returned after senior family members intervened.Another family member recalled that she left home again around four months ago, leaving behind a note saying she wanted to start a new life.Relatives later persuaded her to return and continue her marriage with Abhinandan.Cloth used to clean blood recoveredPolice also recovered a cloth allegedly used to clean blood from the bathroom.Cops said Abhinandan’s head injuries had caused considerable bleeding. The accused allegedly cleaned the bathroom and his head before washing the cloth and leaving it to dry in the backyard.Vinay switched phone back on after reaching homePolice said Vinay kept his phone switched off while carrying out the crime.After leaving the house, he travelled to his home in Harohalli near Kanakapura and switched the phone back on only after reaching there.Police arrested him from his residence in the early hours of Tuesday.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in BengaluruStay updated with the latest Bengaluru news. Download the TOI App.