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Bengaluru: Couple sent to judicial custody for murdering gig worker after minor road accident
A Kalaripayattu martial arts trainer and his wife were remanded to 14-day judicial custody on Wednesday over the murder of a food delivery agent
A Kalaripayattu martial arts trainer and his wife were remanded to 14-day judicial custody on Wednesday over the murder of a 24-year-old food delivery agent in Bengaluru on October 25, police said on Thursday, adding that CCTV footage revealed that what was initially seemed a case of road rage spiralled into a heinous crime.
According to a senior investigating officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the incident took place at night near Srirama Layout in Puttenahalli, South Bengaluru. The victim, identified as Dharshan N, a gig worker from Kembattalli, was riding his scooter with a friend, G. Varun, when it brushed against the car of the accused— identified as Manoj Kumar (32) and his wife Aarati Sharma (30). The collision damaged the vehicle’s right-side mirror, said police.
“Losing control of himself, he took a U-turn, chased the scooter, and rammed it from behind,” said the officer. “The impact threw both riders onto the road, and the car didn’t stop.” Dharshan died instantly while Varun sustained severe injuries and remains under treatment, he added.
The officer said that initially, police registered a case of accidental death. But the case took a dramatic turn when police reviewed CCTV footage from Nataraja Layout, he added.
The video, investigators said, showed the car allegedly chasing and ramming into the scooter from behind. “Further investigation showed that the two bikers had earlier broken the mirror of the car before leaving the spot,” said deputy commissioner of police (south) Lokesh Jagalasar.
He added that the footage revealed that after the collision, the car sped away, leaving the two men on the road. About ten minutes later, the same vehicle returned, he said, this time with both Manoj and Aarati wearing masks. They parked nearby, stepped out, and began allegedly collecting broken pieces of their car from the road. The act, caught on multiple cameras, helped police reconstruct the timeline and confirm premeditation, he said.
The couple was arrested on Sunday, said the DCP. Manoj is originally from Kerala, while Aarati hails from Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
The case has been registered under Sections 103 (murder), 109 (attempt to murder), 238 (destruction of evidence), 324(5) (causing grievous hurt), and 3(5) (criminal conspiracy) of the BNS, said police.
The Bengaluru police have intensified patrols in the area and are reviewing other road rage cases for similar patterns, said a senior officer.
