Neighbour kills woman in front of wheelchair-bound husband in Bengaluru, flees with gold, arrested

A 69-year-old woman was murdered by her neighbour while her wheelchair-bound husband was in the same house.

A 69-year-old woman was strangled in her home in Nelamangala on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Wednesday, with her wheelchair-bound husband inside the house, and a neighbour was arrested hours later on suspicion of killing her and stealing her gold ornaments, the police said.

Bengaluru murder: The suspect, motivated by financial desperation, was arrested within hours.

The victim, identified as Shobha, had been the sole caregiver for her husband, who has been bedridden since a brain stroke 12 years ago. The couple, who had no children, lived on Pete Beedi in Nelamangala.

Investigators said the suspect, Shivakumar, 36, entered the house on the pretext of asking for water after allegedly noticing the gold jewellery she was wearing. The attack occurred around 4 p.m., shortly after she returned home. Police said he used a knife during the assault and strangled her before fleeing with more than 100 grams of gold ornaments.

Officers from Nelamangala Town Police registered a case and examined CCTV footage from nearby areas, which led to his arrest within six hours.

“The accused targeted the elderly woman after noticing the gold ornaments she was wearing. He entered the house under the guise of asking for water and committed the crime when the couple was alone,” said Bharat Gowda, the town police inspector.

He added, “During interrogation, the accused confessed that he was under severe financial debt and had planned the robbery to repay his loans. When the victim resisted, he strangled her.”

“The case was solved within six hours due to coordinated efforts by our team. CCTV analysis and local intelligence played a crucial role in tracking down the suspect,” he said.

The police said the stolen jewellery had been recovered and that the investigation was continuing to determine whether the suspect had been involved in similar crimes.