Bengaluru: Husband arrested for allegedly killing wife over mobile phone argument

A husband was arrested for allegedly killing his wife, Namita Sahu, after an argument over using a mobile phone's loudspeaker. Lokesh Kumar Gehalot strangled his wife on April 24 and fled, later arrested following a landlord's complaint.

Bengaluru: A man in Bengaluru has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife following a domestic dispute that escalated over the use of a mobile phone's loudspeaker. The incident took place on April 24 around 6 PM in Mahaganapatinagar, Basaveshwaranagar.

The accused, Lokesh Kumar Gehalot (43), a native of Rajasthan, allegedly strangled his wife Namita Sahu (43) to death after a heated argument. He then fled the scene. The Basaveshwaranagar police arrested Lokesh based on a complaint filed by the couple’s landlord.

What happened?

Lokesh, who ran a photo studio in Kabbanpete, had been married to Namita for five years. The couple met through a matrimonial site and had a three-year-old daughter. They lived in a rented house in Mahaganapatinagar.

According to the police, on April 24, Lokesh returned home from work and was speaking on the phone with Namita’s brother, Satyam. When Namita asked who he was speaking with, Lokesh informed her it was her brother. She then asked him to put the call on speakerphone. This request sparked a heated argument.

The argument escalated quickly. Lokesh allegedly pushed Namita to the ground and strangled her. He fled the house after committing the crime. Their landlord, Bhupender, discovered the incident and filed a police complaint.

Dowry harassment allegations

Further investigations revealed that Lokesh had been harassing Namita for money. He was reportedly pressuring her to hand over savings she had accumulated before marriage. Lokesh had already taken ₹60,000 and was demanding more dowry from her family, allegedly to expand his business and buy land.

The couple had been arguing about finances for the past 15 days. Police believe the April 24 dispute, which began over the phone call, later turned into a confrontation about dowry, eventually leading to the murder. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.