Karnataka Police in Vijayanagara district are preparing to exhume the bodies of three family members allegedly murdered and buried inside a rented house in Kotturu town in a case that has shocked the region.
The accused, identified as Akshay, is alleged to have killed his father Bhimaraj, mother Jayalakshmi, and sister Amrutha on January 27 and secretly buried their bodies within the house.
According to police, the crime came to light after Akshay travelled to Bengaluru and attempted to file a missing persons complaint at the Tilaknagar police station claiming that his parents and sister had disappeared.
However, during questioning, he reportedly broke down and confessed to the crime, giving contradictory statements about the disposal of the bodies. At one point, he claimed to have dumped the bodies in Sandur while later admitting that he had buried them inside the rented house in Kotturu.
Following the confession, Vijayanagara Superintendent of Police Jahnavi and Kudligi Deputy Superintendent of Police Mallesh visited the house and conducted a preliminary inspection. “The premises have been sealed and arrangements are underway to exhume the bodies in the presence of forensic experts and a magistrate to establish the cause of death and collect evidence’’ SP Jahnavi told HT.
A SOCO team and forensic experts from Bengaluru arrived at Kottur and will exhume the bodies by evening she added.
{{/usCountry}}A SOCO team and forensic experts from Bengaluru arrived at Kottur and will exhume the bodies by evening she added.
{{/usCountry}}The family was from Doddakittadahalli in Hosadurga taluk of Chitradurga district. They had lived in Kotturu for the past two years in a rented house where they also ran a rebutton (clothing accessories) shop. Investigators believe the murders occurred inside the house following which the accused allegedly buried the bodies to conceal the crime before fleeing to Bengaluru.
Preliminary investigations suggest that a dispute related to the sister’s love affair may have triggered the killings. Police suspect that Amrutha was in a relationship with a man, which was reportedly supported by her parents. Akshay is believed to have opposed the relationship, leading to frequent arguments within the family. Investigators are probing whether this disagreement escalated into the violent act.
A relative of the family, identified as Vani, told police that the family had earlier lived and run their business in multiple locations, including Chitradurga, Sandur in Ballari district, and Jagalur in Davanagere district. She said the family had built a house worth around ₹1.5 crore in Jagalur before shifting to Kotturu two years ago. “The couple and their children were living harmoniously. No one ever imagined such a tragedy,” she reportedly said.