Karnataka woman poisons husband, kids for months to continue affair with neighbour, arrested

The Karnataka police has registered a case where the accused has been charged with attempting to murder her husband, their two children, and her in-laws.

A woman in Karnataka’s Hassan district has been arrested for allegedly poisoning her husband, children, and in-laws over a period of two months in an attempt to continue an extramarital affair, according to The Indian Express report.

The accused is said to have routinely laced her family’s meals with sedatives.

The accused, 33-year-old Chaitra, is said to have routinely laced her family’s meals with sedatives and prescription medicines, while maintaining a relationship with a man from her neighbourhood. The case came to light when her husband, Gajendra, discovered suspicious tablets in her bag while searching for his mobile phone, the report added.

The police registered a case on June 5 and arrested Chaitra. She has been charged with attempting to murder her husband, their two children (aged 8 and 10), and her in-laws. “We have arrested Chaitra, and a team has been formed to nab Shivu,” said Mohammad Sujeetha MS, Superintendent of Police, Hassan. Shivu, reportedly her partner in the alleged crime, is currently absconding.

According to the report, Gajendra and Chaitra had been married for 11 years, but the relationship deteriorated after Chaitra became involved with another man named Puneeth. Although both families intervened at the time and resolved the issue, Gajendra later discovered that Chaitra had also begun an affair with Shivu, who lives nearby.

“I had informed her parents, and we had a major fight last year. A case was even filed against me and I spent a few days in jail,” Gajendra said according to the publication.

He said Chaitra began secretly mixing different tablets into the family’s meals, often rotating them to avoid raising suspicion.

Prolonged fatigue and lethargy

Over time, Gajendra and the rest of the family began experiencing prolonged drowsiness, fatigue, and lethargy. “We felt dizzy all the time and kept falling asleep even during the day. When I showed the doctor the tablets, he was shocked and said they were powerful sleeping pills not given without a prescription,” Gajendra said.

Suspecting foul play, Gajendra had the family undergo medical tests. The results confirmed the presence of poison in their systems, prompting him to file a police complaint. His children later identified the tablet wrappers and told him they had seen their mother mixing “powder” into the food and coffee.

Police are continuing their investigation and are on the lookout for Shivu, who is believed to have played a role in the alleged conspiracy.