The victim, R Shobha, was attacked inside her house while her 70-year-old husband, Ranganath, watched helplessly from his wheelchair. Paralysed from the neck down for the past 14 years, Ranganath was unable to intervene as the accused, N Shivakumar, carried out the fatal assault.
According to police, Shivakumar stabbed Shobha in the neck and then snatched her mangalsutra and two gold bangles before fleeing the scene.
The crime came to light around 6 pm when Purushottam, a physiotherapist who had been treating Ranganath for nearly a decade, arrived at the house for a scheduled visit. He found Shobha lying motionless and immediately alerted the police.
When officers reached the spot and began their investigation, Shivakumar was reportedly present among a crowd of onlookers. He allegedly approached police personnel and inquired whether they had any leads on the suspect.
During the initial probe, investigators examined CCTV footage from the area. The footage showed a man arriving at Shobha’s house on a gearless scooter in the afternoon and leaving hurriedly about 30 minutes later. Police identified the individual as Shivakumar, a grocery shop owner who lived just a few houses away.
A team soon reached Shivakumar’s residence, where he had reportedly just finished dinner with his wife and minor daughter. Initially, he denied visiting Shobha’s house. However, when confronted with the CCTV footage, he claimed he had gone there to ask if she needed grocery items. Further interrogation led to his alleged confession.
Shivakumar was arrested the same night. Police recovered the stolen mangalsutra and bangles, which had been hidden inside his house.
During questioning, Shivakumar allegedly told police that he was burdened with debts amounting to Rs 8 lakh and had planned the theft to repay the amount. He said he had known the couple for nearly 10 years and was aware that Shobha possessed significant gold jewellery, as she came from a family of gold merchants and frequently wore different ornaments.
He also admitted that he had observed Shobha taking her husband outside for a daily sunbath in the afternoons and that the door was often left unlocked during that time. On the day of the incident, he entered the house believing the couple would be away for at least an hour. However, they returned earlier than expected, and Shobha caught him searching through cupboards.
Fearing that she would inform the police, Shivakumar allegedly grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed her.
Ranganath and Shobha had been living in Petebeedi Lane since 2014. The couple had no children. Police said further investigation into the case is underway.
