'Gagged, slapped, stabbed in abdomen': How Bengaluru techie stuffed wife into suitcase while she was 'alive'

 

Chilling details have emerged into the brutal killing of 32-year-old Gouri Anil Sambrekar allegedly by her husband, Rakesh Rajendra Khedekar, in Bengaluru. According to a report by Times of India (TOI), the 36-year-old accused not only stabbed his wife to death at their home in Doddakammanahalli near Hulimavu but also attempted to stuff her into a suitcase while she was still alive. 

He tried to drag the trolley out of their home but when the suitcase's handle broke, he abandoned the plan. He then moved it from the dining area to the bathroom, positioning it near the outlet pipe to drain the blood.

Forensic experts believe that Gouri was alive when she was forced into the trolley bag. "At the crime scene, we found a large amount of mucus from her nose and mouth. The mucus comes out only if the person is alive; if the person is dead and stuffed, mucus will not come out. We suspect she died inside the suitcase," an officer revealed.

The suitcase, initially left in the dining area, was later shifted to the bathroom, positioned strategically near the outlet pipe to drain the blood.

Chilling details into murder

The couple, who had recently moved from Mumbai to Bengaluru, had been facing marital discord. On Wednesday night, their heated argument spiraled into a deadly altercation. Gouri had prepared rice and gravy for dinner when the couple clashed over a trivial matter. In a fit of rage, Rakesh slapped her. In retaliation, Gouri allegedly flung a kitchen knife at him, causing a minor injury.

Enraged, Rakesh seized the knife and inflicted fatal wounds—two deep stabs to her neck and one to her abdomen.

Despite her desperate struggle - evident from the nail marks found on his body - Gouri died. As she bled out, losing consciousness, Rakesh gagged her, sealed her inside the suitcase, and began cleaning the crime scene.

Change in plan of action after suitcase handle breaks

Rakesh’s initial plan was to smuggle the body out of their home and flee. However, the suitcase handle broke under the weight, forcing him to change course. Instead, he dragged the suitcase to the bathroom, locked the house from the outside, and sped away in his Honda City around 12:45 am on Thursday.

He moved towards Mumbai, where he intended to meet his parents. He switched off his phone while leaving Bengaluru, but as he approached Pune, he turned it back on and made a chilling confession. Calling Gouri’s brother, Ganesh Anil Sambrekar, at 4 pm., he coldly admitted, "I have killed Gouri in our house," before disconnecting the call. Ganesh immediately alerted Maharashtra police, who, in turn, informed the Hulimavu police.

Meanwhile, Rakesh attempted to manipulate the situation further. He called Prabhu Singh, a tenant living on the ground floor of the building, and falsely claimed that his wife had died by suicide. He instructed Singh to notify the police and the landlord. However, when officers broke open the locked door, they uncovered the grim truth—the suitcase containing Gouri’s body.

Also read: Bengaluru: Body of Maharashtra woman found in suitcase, police nab missing husband from Pune

As authorities tracked his mobile location, they found him near Shirwal, about 50 km from Pune. When an officer spoke to him over the phone, Rakesh feigned mental instability, claiming that he had spent the entire night conversing with his wife’s body. However, CCTV footage exposed this as a lie—he had left his home around midnight.

During questioning, Rakesh justified his actions, stating that his wife was "dominating him" and had grown distant from his parents. He claimed she resented moving to Bengaluru, blaming him for her struggles in securing a job. Investigators suspect that after the murder, he spent some time "talking" to her body before cleaning up the house.

A suicide attempt

After fleeing, Rakesh made an attempt at ending his own life. On his way to Shirwal, he purchased phenyl and cockroach poison and consumed it. He then approached a passing biker, complaining of uneasiness. The Good Samaritan rushed him to a local hospital, where he was treated and later taken into custody.

In a statement to Maharashtra police, Rakesh claimed that he tried to kill himself because "his wife was calling him." However, authorities dismissed this as an act of deception, meant to evoke sympathy and mislead investigators.

Also read: Bengaluru techie who killed wife, stuffed body in suitcase attempts suicide, found unconscious in Maharashtra