Killed for jewellery: Bengaluru horror as elderly woman slain in front of helpless husband

A chilling robbery-murder in Bengaluru’s outskirts saw a 70-year-old woman hacked to death inside her home, with police cracking the case overnight using CCTV tracking and swift field operations.

In a shocking incident that has shaken Bengaluru’s outskirts, a 70-year-old woman was brutally murdered and robbed inside her residence at Nelamangala, while her paralysed husband helplessly witnessed the crime from his wheelchair.

The incident occurred in Pete Beedi area near Jayadeva Choultry, within the limits of Nelamangala Town Police Station. The victim, identified as Shobha, lived alone with her husband Ranganath, who is paralysed. The couple reportedly had no children.

According to police, a gang entered the house after noticing that only the elderly couple was inside. The intruders assaulted Shobha, attacked her on the head and later slit her throat, killing her on the spot. The crime was carried out right in front of her wheelchair-bound husband. After the murder, the accused searched the house for money. When they failed to find cash, they fled with her mangalsutra and bangles.

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Police teams, including the dog squad, rushed to the spot and began an intensive investigation. Neighbouring residents were questioned, and CCTV cameras along the surrounding roads were scanned to trace the movement of the suspects.

Through technical analysis and CCTV tracking, police identified and arrested the prime accused, Shivakumar (35), a wholesale shop owner. Investigators revealed that Shivakumar targeted the elderly woman to clear an ₹8 lakh debt. He entered the house, committed the murder, searched for money for nearly one and a half hours, and later escaped on his Activa scooter to avoid suspicion.

Interestingly, during the initial investigation, Shivakumar was present near the crime scene along with police, pretending to be a bystander. However, tracing the registration number of his Activa led officers straight to him.

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Under the guidance of SP M.V. Chandrakant, a special team was formed, leading to the swift arrest of the accused. Police recovered the bike used in the crime, the knife, and the mobile phone.

A case has been registered at Nelamangala Town Police Station, and further investigation is underway.