3 months after child’s death, Bengaluru police arrest lawyer mother in murder probe
Priyanka, the 40-year-old lawyer, had been on the run after she and her boyfriend allegedly killed her daughter, Vennela, and passed it off as a natural death in Bengaluru's Kadugodi.
The girl's mother, Priyanka P, and her alleged boyfriend, G M Mohan, were book on murder charges only on June 4, months after the post-mortem report was released. (Express Photo/Special Arrangement)
The Bengaluru police on Thursday arrested a lawyer in connection with the alleged murder of her six-year-old daughter, Vennela, three months ago in Kadugodi.
Priyanka, the 40-year-old lawyer, had been on the run after she and her boyfriend, G M Mohan, allegedly killed Vennela and passed it off as a natural death in Bengaluru.
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She has been remanded in police custody for five days. “Priyanka’s custodial interrogation could help us piece together the sequence of events leading up to Vennela’s death. We are examining all possible circumstances, including whether the child was suffocated or poisoned, and are verifying all collected evidence, including medical records and forensic findings,” a senior police officer said.
While Vennela was reported dead on March 25, a day after her birthday celebrations, the Kadugodi police registered a murder case only on June 4 based on a complaint filed by the girl’s father, Praveen Basappa, a teacher and owner of a school in Davanagere. Mohan was arrested on June 6. Basappa alleged that Priyanka and Mohan had murdered the six-year-old girl.
According to the complaint, Priyanka and Praveen’s marriage had deteriorated after she reconnected with Mohan, a former college mate and alleged former lover, during a visit to Bengaluru in late 2025. Basappa alleged that after the relationship resumed, Priyanka began living separately with Mohan and Vennela, while the couple’s elder daughter remained with Basappa.
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According to Priyanka’s account, the child was taken out for her birthday on March 24 and later left sleeping in a parked car with the air conditioning on, while Priyanka and Mohan went to a coffee shop. The next morning, Vennela was found unresponsive and was declared dead on arrival at a hospital.
Suspicions of foul play emerged after Vennela’s father insisted on a postmortem examination. He later approached the police, alleging that the child’s death was not natural, following concerns raised after reviewing the autopsy findings.
The girl's mother, Priyanka P, and her alleged boyfriend, G M Mohan, were book on murder charges only on June 4, months after the post-mortem report was released. (Express Photo/Special Arrangement) 
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