Ex-Karnataka DGP Om Prakash killed by wife at Bengaluru home over property dispute: Report

The 68-year-old retired IPS officer was allegedly stabbed to death by his wife Pallavi following a heated argument.

The wife of former Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) Om Prakash has been accused of murdering him in their home in Bengaluru’s HSR Layout on Sunday afternoon. The 68-year-old retired IPS officer was allegedly stabbed to death by his wife Pallavi following a heated argument Deccan Herald reported.

Om Prakash’s son, Karthikesh, has filed a complaint with the police.

According to the publication, the incident took place around 4 pm on the ground floor of their three-storeyed residence. Investigators believe that a verbal altercation during lunch escalated into a violent physical confrontation, during which Pallavi allegedly overpowered Om Prakash, assaulted him, and then stabbed him multiple times in the neck and back of the head using two kitchen knives, the report added.

Police officials revealed that after the attack, Pallavi sat silently on a chair for nearly 10 minutes as her husband lay dying, the report added. Their daughter, who was in the upper floor of the house at the time, is not suspected to be involved. The couple’s daughter-in-law is believed to have arrived at the scene later.

After the incident, Pallavi reportedly called the wife of a retired IPS officer before alerting emergency services. When police officers arrived, they found the scene covered in blood, with a plate of food still untouched on the dining table.

A team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Sarah Fathiema questioned Pallavi and other family members at the spot. Pallavi has since been detained and taken to the HSR Layout police station for further interrogation.

Motive behind the crime?

Initial investigations point towards a longstanding property dispute as the likely motive. Pallavi was allegedly upset over her husband's decision to gift property to one of his siblings. According to the report, there was deep-seated marital discord. In recent months, the couple had frequent arguments, and Pallavi had reportedly made public complaints about her husband to other police families. On one occasion, she even staged a protest outside their house.

Om Prakash’s son, Karthikesh, has filed a complaint with the police, and an FIR is being prepared under murder charges. His body has been placed in the cold storage at St John’s Medical College Hospital, where a post-mortem is expected to be conducted on Monday.