Karnataka Police apprehended five individuals for their involvement in the murder of a woman, which was disguised as a road accident in Bengaluru. The incident unfolded in the jurisdiction of the Mahalakshmi Layout police station. The arrested suspects, identified as Rakesh, Chetan, Pradeep, and Yohan, were part of the scheme, while another individual, Manjunath, passed away due to illness during the investigation. The deceased woman, Vijayalaxmi, resided in Mahalakshmi Layout.
An accident involving Vijayalaxmi was reported on April 21 near Kurubarahalli Pipeline Road, where the accused themselves filed a police report, feigning an attempt to rescue her after the staged accident. Investigations unveiled that Chetan, one of the accused, had borrowed money from the victim previously and knew about her possession of a significant sum of money and gold jewelry. Allegedly, he conspired with his associates to rob Vijayalaxmi’s residence.
On the day of the incident, Rakesh purportedly collided his motorcycle forcefully with Vijayalaxmi while she was walking near Pipeline Road. Following the plan, other accomplices, traveling in an autorickshaw, transported her to a hospital. Meanwhile, Manjunath, one of the accused, discreetly stole the house key from her purse while she was being admitted.
Subsequently, Manjunath attempted a burglary at Vijayalaxmi’s residence but aroused suspicion among neighbors, who questioned him. He claimed to be there to retrieve an Aadhaar card before hastily leaving. Suspecting foul play, the homeowner reported an attempted theft to the police. Rakesh, on the other hand, approached the traffic police station, alleging that he had rescued the victim after an unidentified vehicle hit her.
Despite the efforts to save her, Vijayalaxmi succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. The investigation led the Mahalakshmi Layout police to gather information about the victim and review CCTV footage capturing the movements of the accused. Upon apprehending the suspects, the police secured confessions wherein they confessed to planning the crime with the aim of robbing Vijayalaxmi’s residence of valuables. Murder and robbery charges have been filed against the accused, with the police continuing their inquiries.
