Bengaluru Murder Case: Chaat Shop Owner, Aide Arrested for Killing Estranged Wife

A Bengaluru chaat shop owner and his employee were arrested for murdering the owner's estranged wife. Her death was initially treated as a suicide after she was found hanging.

What initially appeared to be a case of suicide in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwarinagar has turned into a disturbing murder investigation. Police have arrested a chaat shop owner and his employee for allegedly killing the man's estranged wife and staging the crime to look like suicide.

The incident took place in Dwarakanagar, leaving residents of the area shocked.

Who Are the Accused and the Victim?

The accused have been identified as Virupaksha Gowda (29), a chaat shop owner from Kunigal taluk in Tumakuru district, and his employee, Pundalika Janappa Lamani (19), a resident of Gavipuram.

The victim, Asha S (31), was also a native of Kunigal. She had been living separately from her husband at the time of the incident.

Body Found Hanging, Brother Raises Suspicion

Asha was found hanging at her Dwarakanagar residence around 1:30 pm on January 10. At first, the death was treated as a suspected suicide.

However, her elder brother, Arun Kumar, raised concerns and filed a complaint suspecting foul play. Acting on the complaint, police registered a case of unnatural death and began a detailed investigation.

Postmortem Reveals Strangulation

The case took a decisive turn after a postmortem examination conducted at Victoria Hospital revealed that Asha had died due to ligature strangulation. The medical findings ruled out suicide, prompting police to convert the case into a murder investigation on January 14.

Police Say Murder Was Staged as Suicide

During interrogation, Virupaksha reportedly confessed to killing his wife and explained how the crime was carried out. Police said he allegedly strangled Asha with a rope at her residence.

To mislead investigators, he later sought help from his employee, Pundalika, to hang the body from a ceiling fan to make it appear as a case of suicide.

Arrests Made, Accused Sent to Police Custody

Both men were arrested and produced before a court on January 15. The court remanded them to eight days of police custody to allow investigators to question them further and collect additional evidence.

Troubled Marriage and Pending Divorce

Police said Asha and Virupaksha had married six years ago after a love affair. The relationship had reportedly soured, and Asha had filed for divorce. The next hearing in the divorce case was scheduled for January 27.

The couple did not have any children.

Investigation Ongoing

Police are continuing their investigation to piece together the sequence of events and verify all statements made by the accused. Authorities said further details will emerge as the probe progresses.