24-year-old man arrested in Karnataka for murdering his parents, sister

A 24-year-old man was arrested for allegedly murdering his parents and sister in Vijayanagara district, with motives linked to family disputes.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on Friday for allegedly killing his parents and sister in Vijayanagara district, police said on Saturday, adding that the bodies of the victims were exhumed earlier in the day.

The crimes were allegedly committed on January 27.

The exhumation took place in the presence of Harapanahalli sub-divisional magistrate Suresh Kumar, added police, adding that the victims’ viscera was sent for forensic examination to determine the exact cause of death.

The victims were identified as Bhimaraj(48) mother Jayalakshmi(44) and Amrutha(17), said police, adding that the accused, Akshay Kumar, confessed to the crime on Friday.

The matter came to light after Akshay approached the Tilaknagar police station on January 29 with a complaint that his parents and sister were missing.

Police said he allegedly told officers that his father was unwell and that the entire family had travelled from Kotturu to Bengaluru on January 27 for treatment at Jayadeva Hospital, adding that they were carrying ₹4 lakh in cash to hand over to a relative, adding that his family had sent him WhatsApp messages confirming they had reached Jayadeva Hospital and even shared photographs of the hospital premises and a nearby metro pillar.

However, he claimed that by evening that day, all their phones were switched off and that he received a call from an unknown number the next day, wherein she said hospital staff had taken her phone and asking him to come immediately. Akshay also told police that he and his uncle searched the hospital extensively on January 29 but could not trace the family.

Tilaknagar police registered a missing case and searched several hospitals through the night. When no leads were found, officers grew suspicious and detained Akshay for questioning. During interrogation on January 30, he broke down and confessed to the crime.

According to Vijayanagar SP M Jahnavi, “Akshay killed his mother first by stabbing her with a knife inside the house. He then called his sister home on the pretext of giving her a gift and murdered her as well. When his father returned and was watching television in the hall, Akshay allegedly attacked and killed him too.’

Police are the motive behind the murders, with preliminary suspicion pointing to family disputes, added Jahnavi.