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The K.R. Puram police have arrested 24-year-old Shwetha, accused of murdering her parents and younger sister after they allegedly opposed to her live-in relationship with her boyfriend.
She was nabbed at a railway station in Puducherry by a special team tracking her movements. Efforts are under way to trace and arrest her boyfriend Kenneth, who is also suspected to be involved in the crime.
The triple murder took place at an apartment in Sigehalli under the jurisdiction of the K.R. Puram Police Station. The victims were identified as Somesundar, 55, a software engineer, his wife Muthulakshmi, 48, and their younger daughter Supriya, 20.
The police had formed six special teams to track down Shwetha and Kenneth, who had been on the run since allegedly committing the murders.
The police, while conducting a mahazar at the crime scene, recovered a diary allegedly maintained by Shwetha. The entries reportedly contained phrases suggesting that she was under stress.
The probe revealed that Shwetha and Kenneth met while pursuing their B.Tech at a private engineering college, and later entered into a live-in relationship. They reportedly quit their jobs and planned to start a business venture.
The police said the duo had allegedly availed a loan of around ₹30 lakh from a private bank in the names of Shwetha’s parents. The parents reportedly came to know of the loan only after receiving notices from the bank over repayment defaults. This reportedly enraged Somasundar, who visited her flat and confronted her.
The police suspect that tensions over the relationship and financial issues led to a heated argument on Monday evening. During the confrontation, the accused allegedly attacked her family members with a knife, stabbing them multiple times. Muthulakshmi and Supriya died inside the apartment. Despite sustaining grievous injuries, Somasundar reportedly managed to run out of the flat and collapsed on the apartment staircase. He was rushed to the hospital by residents but later succumbed to his injuries.
After the attack, Shwetha and Kenneth allegedly fled the scene. Their exit was captured by one of the CCTV cameras. The accused will be produced before a court and taken into custody for further investigation to ascertain the exact motive behind the triple murder.
‘Killed them because they controlled me’
During preliminary questioning, Shwetha reportedly told investigators that she killed her mother, Muthulakshmi, because she believed her mother had controlled every aspect of her life. The accused claimed she was never allowed to live independently and blamed her mother for depriving her of peace of mind and personal freedom.
“Whatever I did was wrong in her eyes. Wherever I went was wrong. Even sitting, standing or sleeping became an issue. They took away my freedom and made me feel like an orphan despite having a family,” Shwetha reportedly told the police.
Police sources said Shwetha has claimed that she alone murdered her mother and later attacked her father and younger sister, while her boyfriend allegedly helped her clear the crime scene.
The police suspect the murders were premeditated. According to the investigation, Shwetha had called her mother, Muthulakshmi, and younger sister, Supriya, to her apartment a day before the killings. The mother and daughter reportedly spent the day there, while Supriya returned to the family home in Nallurahalli, Varthur, later that evening. Muthulakshmi, however, stayed back with Shwetha.
The following day, when family members were unable to contact either Muthulakshmi or Shwetha, Somasundar and Supriya went to the apartment. The police believe Muthulakshmi had already been murdered by then. When Somasundar and Supriya questioned Shwetha about Muthulakshmi’s whereabouts, the accused allegedly lured them inside and attacked them with a knife.
Kenneth’s role under scanner
According to Shwetha’s statement, Kenneth was allegedly inside a room wearing headphones and was not directly involved when Muthulakshmi was attacked. She reportedly claimed that Kenneth came out only after the murder and helped her clean the apartment and move the body into a bathroom.
However, the police suspect she is misleading investigators to derail the probe. In his alleged dying declaration, Somasundar reportedly told the police that Kenneth had also stabbed him during the attack.
The police believe Kenneth’s arrest will be crucial in establishing the exact sequence of events and determining whether he was merely an accomplice after the crime or an active participant in the murders. After the killings, the accused allegedly walked out of the apartment and used a scooter to flee. However, the scooter reportedly broke down, following which Kenneth allegedly asked Shwetha to board a bus alone.
A K.R. Puram police team remains in Puducherry to complete legal formalities before bringing Shwetha to Bengaluru. She is expected to arrive in the city by late afternoon. The police are likely to subject her to sustained interrogation and reconstruct the crime scene to verify her claims.
Meanwhile, multiple teams continue to search for Kenneth, whose testimony is expected to play a crucial role in establishing the full sequence of events behind the gruesome murders.
English (US) ·