Police arrested a young man in Bengaluru for allegedly murdering his elderly grandmother, concealing her body in a suitcase and throwing it in a lake to scatter evidence. The case came to light after a woman's body was found in a suitcase floating in a lake, and police of Kumbalagodu district immediately began to investigate.
The accused, identified only as Gagan, is accused of murdering his grandmother Jayamma at his residence and putting her body in a suitcase. During the police investigation, he allegedly kept the body in his room overnight without anyone in the house knowing and not telling anyone about it.
Gagan’s parents were reportedly at home at the time, but they were unaware that Jayamma’s body was concealed in the room, investigators said. The accused took the suitcase containing the body on a motorcycle the next day and deposited it in a nearby lake.
When Jayamma was reported missing, Gagan allegedly acted like he did not know about her disappearance. But inconsistencies in his remarks and evidence gathered during the investigation led police to discover his alleged involvement in the crime.
Gagan had discontinued his studies and had started a gambling and alcohol addiction, investigators said. Police believe he had accrued a lot of debt from betting and other expenses, which could have been the cause of the crime.
The investigation revealed that Jayamma had visited Gagan’s house on Wednesday evening to make a call. Police allege that while she was at the house, Gagan planned the attack. He is accused of strangling his grandmother to death to steal approximately 30 grams of gold jewellery that she was wearing.
After the murder, Gagan is alleged to have removed the jewellery and placed the body in a suitcase available at the house and kept it hidden in his room all night. The investigators believe that the accused waited for an opportunity to dispose of the body without arousing suspicion.
Police also said that after he stole the jewellery, Gagan pledged the gold to a friend and got money, which investigators suspect he used to pay debts and cover other expenses. The police are checking the transaction details and tracing the pledged jewellery as part of the ongoing investigation.
The discovery of the body inside the suitcase triggered a forensic examination and the Kumbalagodu Police’s investigation. Surveillance footage, witness accounts and other evidence helped reconstruct the sequence of events and to identify the accused.
Police have arrested Gagan and registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The accused has been detained for further investigation, and efforts are on to recover the stolen jewellery and gather more evidence.
The investigation is ongoing, and all allegations will be studied rigorously based on forensic evidence and material evidence, the officials said. This case has once again highlighted the severe effects of financial distress, addictions and crime in families.
