Bengaluru: Drunk civil engineer dies after being hit with wooden stick; wife claims self-defence

A Bengaluru civil engineer died in his sleep after his wife struck him with a wooden stick during a domestic fight. She claims self-defence after years of abuse. The postmortem cited blunt-force trauma. A probe is underway.

Bengaluru: A 42-year-old civil engineer from Suddaguntepalya, identified as Bhaskar, died in his sleep after being struck with a wooden stick by his wife, Shruthi, during a domestic argument. The incident occurred around midnight on June 27 at their residence in Bhavani Nagar, South Bengaluru. Shruthi told the police that she acted in self-defence following an episode of physical abuse.

Husband returned home intoxicated after staying away for months

According to police, Bhaskar, who had been living away from his family for the past two months, returned to the house heavily intoxicated. He had reportedly been staying at the home of a domestic help with whom he was allegedly having an extramarital affair. That night, he arrived to collect his SUV and encountered Shruthi.

Argument escalated into physical altercation

Seeing him in a drunken and unsteady state, Shruthi asked him to stay home and not drive. However, the conversation turned hostile when Bhaskar allegedly turned violent and tried to throw Shruthi and their daughters out of the house. Shruthi claimed that in a moment of fear and rage, she hit him with a thick wooden stick typically used to prepare ragi mudde (a finger millet staple dish).

She believed he had fallen asleep after the attack

After hitting him, Shruthi said she bathed him and helped him lie down on the bed, assuming he had passed out. The next morning, when their daughters tried to wake him up, there was no response. Shruthi checked and found him unresponsive. Initially, she told the police that Bhaskar had slipped and fallen in the bathroom.

Postmortem report revealed blunt-force trauma

Suspicious of the circumstances, police sent the body for postmortem. The report revealed blunt-force trauma to Bhaskar’s ribs, leading to internal injuries and death due to shock. Under further interrogation, Shruthi admitted to hitting him during the fight but insisted she had no intention of killing him and only acted in self-defence after enduring years of abuse.

Years of alleged neglect, abuse, and financial control

Shruthi revealed that Bhaskar had a history of abusive behavior, neglect, and financial control. Despite earning ₹1.5 lakh a month from renting out a building he owned, he gave her only ₹5,000 for household expenses. She alleged that the rest of his income was spent on alcohol and maintaining his affair.

Bhaskar had no close relatives; daughters now with grandmother

Bhaskar had no surviving parents or siblings. Shruthi was his second wife, following a brief first marriage that ended in divorce within two months. With his death, the couple’s daughters have been placed under the care of their maternal grandmother. Police have advised the family to use the rental income from Bhaskar’s property for the children's education and well-being.

Shruthi remanded to custody; police weigh self-defence claim

Shruthi has been taken into judicial custody on charges of murder. However, police officials say they are considering her claims of self-defence seriously, especially in light of her allegations of prolonged domestic abuse and financial exploitation.