Something that started as a Bengaluru traffic accident involving the police had evolved into a horrific crime after they arrested the accused and found a conspiracy to murder her, driven by greed, along with money and expensive gold jewellery. Four were arrested by Mahalakshmi Layout Police for an alleged plot to kill a woman at Kurubarahalli, posing as a traffic accident.
Vijayalakshmi was said to have lived alone, had money and gold ornaments. The police investigation found that one of the accused, Chetan, had borrowed money from Vijayalakshmi in the past. He traced her and supposedly found that she kept more cash and valuables at home.
Chetan then devised a plan to rob Vijayalakshmi with his accomplices Rakesh, Manjunath, Pradeep and Johan (Police alleged) for a criminal conspiracy. The group apparently chose to pull off a staged road accident to gain access to her belongings and house without speculation beforehand.
How the Crime Was Executed
The incident, it is reported, occurred on April 21 around Kurubarahalli on Pipeline Road. The report said Vijayalakshmi was walking by the way when the accused, Rakesh, crashed his motorcycle into her at a very high speed, and she sustained serious injuries as a result. The crash, the police said, did not occur in error but was part of a scheme to take the woman down.
The other three accused - Pradeep, Johan and Manjunath - reported to be the ones who arrived at the scene of the crash in a good Samaritan auto-rickshaw shortly after the accident. They allegedly behaved like rescuers and rushed Vijayalakshmi to the hospital to avoid building a profile in the public.
Theft from the Victim's House
They had put the plan into action when Vijayalakshmi struggled to get out of the hospital. Investigators found that Manjunath had stolen the keys to Vijayalakshmi’s house from her purse while she was unconscious. He entered the house; surely he went looking for cash and jewellery with the keys seized.
Neighbours questioned after observing him act out and asking him questions. Manjunath also lied to investigators, saying he went into the home to acquire an Aadhaar card in order to escape suspicion. He reportedly fled the scene in fear for his life and then took nothing for himself.
Attempt to Mislead Police
In an especially shocking twist, following the incident, the police said the accused, Rakesh, himself approached traffic police officials and tried to trick them. Further, he allegedly said that an unknown vehicle struck a woman he knew and that he had merely helped move her to the hospital. The gang regards this as a step in their efforts to fabricate a disinformation story and to distract their members from the suspicion.
Investigations expose the Truth
Vijayalakshmi had collapsed and died of her injuries while she was at Victoria Hospital. The break-in at her abode prompted an immediate suspicion of the homeowner, and a complaint against her was brought with the Mahalakshmi Layout Police from her home, based on the crime complaint to the authorities.
Police analysed CCTV footage from the scene at that time and also cellular phone calls to discover details of the suspect. This piece of evidence supposedly revealed the whole conspiracy. The accident in question had been designed according to meticulous schedules.
One Accused Dies Before Arrest
A slightly whimsical twist: one of the major accused, Manjunath, apparently died of illness just two days after Vijayalakshmi’s death. Rakesh, Chetan, Pradeep and Johan have had their police removed related to the case. A murder case is being registered and investigated.
"Officials in Bengaluru, including representatives of the police, were infuriated by the horrifying case, saying the crime had been a ‘very cruel act of greed.’ The incident was a lesson in how money wants, but sometimes when it meets with a lack of any lawful order, it leads to acts like mere snafus in an ordinary neighbourhood," the authorities said.
