Bengaluru horror: Cab driver accused of killing wife, mother-in-law and five relatives

A Bengaluru cab driver has allegedly murdered his wife, mother-in-law, two brothers-in-law, their wives and a seven-year-old child in a two-day killing spree, police said.

The accused, identified as Indushekhar, reportedly confessed to killing all seven family members using a grinding stone. Police have so far recovered the body of the seven-year-old boy near Nandi Hills, while a search is underway to locate the remaining six victims.

Investigators believe the killings were triggered by ongoing marital disputes, with the accused allegedly resenting his wife's frequent visits to her parental home and her close relationship with her family.

Police identified the victims as Sunita, the accused's wife; his mother-in-law, Rupavati; her sons, Shivakumar and Shankar; their wives, Divya and Nalini; and Shankar's seven-year-old son, Puneeth.

Indushekhar and Sunita had been married for around 20 years, but reportedly had frequent arguments over her visits to her parents' home. Family members' attempts to resolve their differences failed, police sources said.

The accused allegedly blamed Sunita's mother and brothers for supporting her during the marital disputes.

According to police sources, Indushekhar first murdered Sunita using a grinding stone. He allegedly wrapped her body in cloth and dumped it near Nandi Hills.

He then switched off her mobile phone and reportedly told neighbours that she had gone on a trip, apparently to avoid suspicion.

The following day, he allegedly invited his two brothers-in-law, Shivakumar and Shankar, to his house for a gathering. He is accused of subsequently killing them, their wives, Divya and Nalini, his mother-in-law, Rupavati and the seven-year-old boy.

Police sources said the same grinding stone was allegedly used in the killings.

After the murders, the accused reportedly used chemicals to clean the house and remove bloodstains in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Police have seized the car allegedly used to transport and dispose of the bodies, along with the grinding stone suspected to have been used in the crime.

The case came to light after Nalini's mother lodged a missing-person complaint at Srirampura Police Station on Thursday.

During the investigation, police uncovered evidence pointing to multiple suspected murders and arrested Indushekhar.

During questioning, the accused allegedly confessed to killing all seven family members and provided information about where he had disposed of their bodies.

Following a four-hour search near the foothills of Nandi Hills, police recovered the body of seven-year-old Puneeth. He is the first victim whose body has been found.

Investigators are continuing the search for the remaining six bodies and verifying the accused's claims. Police are also examining whether anyone assisted him in carrying out the murders, including the possible role of his daughter.

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge described the incident as deeply unfortunate, saying preliminary findings suggested the murders were pre-planned.

Speaking to reporters, Kharge said the accused had allegedly killed nearly seven members of his wife's family.

He said investigators were examining the circumstances surrounding the crime, including claims that the accused had faced humiliation from his wife's relatives.

Kharge cautioned that it was too early to establish all the details but described the alleged actions as the work of a person with a "twisted mind".

Police are continuing their investigation to establish the full sequence of events and recover the remaining bodies.

With inputs from ANI