In a shocking case that has shocked Bengaluru, police have unearthed disturbing details of the murder of a software engineer, his wife and their younger daughter in KR Puram's Seegahalli area, who were found to have been killed in a horrific killing by their elder daughter, Shwetha, and her live-in partner, Kenneth.
The accused were living together in a live-in relationship after completing their engineering education. Both are tech professionals who had recently moved to an apartment in Seegahalli about two months previously. The police believe the couple were planning to start a business venture and had been looking for funds from Shwetha's parents to run a business.
But the parents were reportedly unwilling to provide the funds and had also voiced concern over their daughter’s growing debts and her live-in relationship. The police theorize these problems were in part the trigger for the horrific crime.
Police sources revealed that Shwetha had informed the apartment watchman in advance that her parents would be visiting the residence. This has raised fears that the victims were lured to the apartment as part of a pre-planned conspiracy.
According to investigators, during the visit, Shwetha and her father, Somasundar, got into an argument over money and debts. As tensions increased, Shwetha's mother, Muthulakshmi, intervened and questioned her daughter's actions.
When Somasundar tried to protect his wife and resist the assault, both Shwetha and Kenneth attacked him repeatedly and stabbed him. The couple also attacked Shwetha’s younger sister, Supriya, who was at the scene. All three victims suffered multiple stab wounds in what police describe as an extremely brutal attack.
Despite serious injuries, Somasundar escaped from his apartment and alerted police immediately before collapsing. His statement is believed to have helped investigators reconstruct the sequence of events.
The accused carried out a very elaborate escape plan after the murders, investigators say. They locked the door and escaped through the terrace, not through their own apartment complex, where CCTV cameras were installed, but through the terrace of a neighbouring apartment building and exited through another gate in a bid to avoid detection.
But their movements were tracked by surveillance cameras in the neighbouring apartment complex. These images are now part and parcel of the investigation.
The bodies of Muthulakshmi and Supriya were found after breaking down the door, and the residents of the house were shocked.
Somasundar was a software engineer who worked with a well-known company in Bengaluru and lived comfortably with his family. Shwetha had already distanced herself from her parents about two years ago and had now moved in separately with Kenneth.
More than 50 police personnel and officers are out there trying to find the absconding accused. Kenneth's background, contacts and possible hideouts are being explored. Teams have been formed, and the investigation is moving in many directions.
Though the initial investigation points toward financial disputes and family conflicts as the motive for the murders, the investigation is ongoing to establish the entire sequence of events and whether the murders were premeditated.
