A chilling case has come to light from Bengaluru, where a 52-year-old man allegedly killed seven members of his wife's family including a seven-year-old boy over domestic disputes in the city's Srirampura locality, police said on Friday.
The accused has been identified as Shekhar, a cab driver. Driven by resentment over his wife's continued contact with her parental family, he allegedly killed his wife and six of her family members.
The victims include his wife Sunita, her mother Rupavati, his brothers-in-law Shivakumar and Shankar, their wives Divya and Nalini, and Shivakumar's seven-year-old son, Puneeth.
Police have recovered the body of the seven-year-old boy, Puneeth, but are still searching for the remaining bodies.
According to police investigations reported by The Hindu, the murders took place over an extended window between 16 October and 3 November 2026.
According to news agency PTI, Shekhar allegedly committed the murders over two days at his house near Basaveshwara Circle and dumped the bodies at different locations, including Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapur district and Charmadi Ghat in coastal Karnataka.
The killings took place in a residential neighborhood on 59th Cross, near Basaveshwara Circle. The Rajajinagar police have arrested the accused and are questioning him about the exact timeline of the murders.
He lured the family members to his house one after another to carry out the executions--first killing his wife, followed by his mother-in-law, and later inviting his brothers-in-law under the false pretext of hosting a party.
Why Did He Kill Them?
Shekhar had been having frequent disputes with his wife, Sunita, whom he married about 20 years ago, over her visits to her parental home. Shekhar reportedly told police that he was distressed over these domestic disputes.
Despite attempts by family members to reconcile the couple, their differences continued. He allegedly grew angry over the support Sunita received from her mother and brothers and decided to eliminate her family.
Shekhar first allegedly murdered Sunita using a grinding stone, wrapped her body in cloth, and dumped it near Nandi Hills, as per a PTI report. He then switched off her mobile phone and told neighbors that she had gone on a trip to avoid suspicion.
The next day, he allegedly invited his brothers-in-law, Shivakumar and Shankar, to his house for a party and killed them using the grinding stone. Following this, he allegedly murdered their wives, Divya and Nalini; his mother-in-law, Rupavati; and Shivakumar's seven-year-old son, Puneeth.
The murders came to light after Nalini's mother lodged a missing-person complaint at the Srirampura police station on Thursday. During the investigation, police uncovered the alleged multiple murders and arrested Shekhar.
Accused Used Chemicals to Clean House
The accused allegedly used chemicals to clean the house and remove bloodstains after the killings. Police have seized the car allegedly used to transport the bodies and the grinding stone used in the murders.
The body of the seven-year-old child, Puneeth, was recovered after an extensive search near Nandi Hills, while efforts continue to trace the remaining bodies.
Police are examining whether anyone assisted him in carrying out the murders, including looking into the possible role of his daughter. Investigators are also probing how the murders went unnoticed despite the house being situated in a busy residential locality.