They killed four-year-old boy after he witnessed father’s murder at Bengaluru home

The mysterious deaths of a 36-year-old man and his four-year-old son at their Chikkabanavara home turned into a double murder investigation, with police arresting the man’s wife and her alleged boyfriend Tuesday.

Police identified the accused as A Harini, 26, and Vinay Kumar, a factory worker. The duo, who became friends through social media about two years ago, has been remanded in police custody for five days for questioning.

Reconstructing the sequence of events, police said Harini allegedly called the police control room around 7am Monday, claiming that her husband Abhinandan and son Yaduveer were lying motionless inside their Guddebasaveshwara residence. Police personnel reached the spot and noticed several inconsistencies. The CCTV cameras inside and outside the house had been switched off around 10pm Sunday, while there were no signs of forced entry. Investigators also found that call logs and messages had been deleted from Harini’s phone.

With suspicion turning towards Harini, police questioned her. She initially gave contradictory answers but later admitted to the crime.

According to cops, Harini allegedly let Vinay into the house around 11pm. Vinay 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 up 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 to make him go back to sleep. Vinay then dragged Abhinandan’s body into the bedroom, where the two allegedly 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.

Family members told police that Harini and Abhinandan had a troubled marriage. A relative said Harini left the house in Jan following frequent disputes but returned after senior family members intervened. Another family member recalled that she had 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.

Police also recovered a cloth allegedly used to clean blood from the bathroom. Cops said Abhinandan’s head injuries had caused considerable bleeding, and the accused allegedly cleaned the bathroom and his head before washing the cloth and leaving it to dry in the backyard.

Vinay allegedly 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.

Source: The Times of India