Bengaluru woman allegedly kills son, 4, after he witnessed father’s murder

‘The murder was planned’

The police said Harini initially told investigators that she had slept in another room and was unaware of the deaths. They said their suspicion grew after they found that the house’s CCTV system had been switched off and found inconsistencies in her account.

An officer said a neighbour called the police control room around 7 am Monday after Harini claimed she found Abhinandan and their son unconscious.

“The murder was planned. Harini let Vinay into the house around 1 am Monday. He switched off his mobile phone before entering the house. They threw Abhinandan into the wall and then choked him to death,” the officer said.

Hearing the commotion, the officer said, the son woke up and saw Harini and Vinay attacking his father. “Suspecting he could be a witness to the incident, one of them smothered him. Vinay claims Harini did it and vice versa,” the officer added.

Investigators also said Harini attempted to conceal evidence after the attack. A police officer said Abhinandan had suffered a bleeding injury and that Harini wiped the blood, changed his clothes, and disposed of the clothes.

Motive behind murders

The police said the motive appeared to be linked to domestic discord and Harini’s relationship with Kumar. According to investigators, Harini had earlier gone to her mother’s house with her son after differences with Abhinandan.

They are also examining a possible property motive. “Abhinandan had a share in three acres of agricultural land in Kunigal and owned gold ornaments, which investigators believe could have been inherited by Harini or their son,” an officer said.

Relatives of Abhinandan, who married Harini in 2021, told the police that the couple frequently quarrelled and alleged that Harini was in a relationship with another man and had been living separately until a few months ago.

Harini’s family, however, alleged that Abhinandan was also involved with another woman and had been caught once.