3 min readBengaluruJun 24, 2026 06:07 PM IST
First published on: Jun 24, 2026 at 01:50 PM IST
The police in Bengaluru detained a woman in Puducherry in connection with the killing of her parents and younger sister at an apartment in Seegehalli Wednesday, days after she, along with her live-in partner, went missing.
The police said Shwetha was traced and detained near a bus stand in Puducherry, adding they will produce her before the court in Bengaluru and then take her into custody.
Her partner, Kenneth, is still absconding, and search operations continue across Karnataka and neighbouring states.
Shwetha and Kenneth were missing since the bodies of her parents, Somasundar and Muthulakshmi, and her younger sister, Supriya, were discovered inside a flat at Sai Green Apartments in the Seegehalli area.
Reconstruction of timeline
According to sources in the Bengaluru police, investigators have also revised the sequence of events based on fresh findings.
The victim’s mother, Muthulakshmi, is believed to have visited Shwetha at the apartment Sunday. Investigators now suspect she was killed during that visit. Somasundar and Supriya reportedly arrived at the flat around 7 pm Monday and were later attacked inside the apartment.
Police sources said Somasundar managed to escape after being stabbed and ran outside seeking help from residents and security personnel. He was rushed to a hospital by members of the public, but later succumbed to his injuries.
Debts, family tension
Earlier aspects of the investigation remain under scrutiny, including alleged financial stress linked to Shwetha’s reported Rs 30 lakh loan and tensions over her live-in relationship with Kenneth.
Sources said she had allegedly borrowed nearly Rs 30 lakh through a bank loan and had fallen behind on repayments. Recovery notices had previously been sent to the family’s house in Marathahalli, and police are also examining other possible debts and liabilities.
Earlier, the police said the couple fled shortly after the killings.
According to investigators, Shwetha and Kenneth met while studying engineering and later found jobs in the software sector. They reportedly lived together in a rented apartment in the same residential complex for nearly 2 months while working remotely.
Kenneth’s family members told investigators he had informed them he was working in Hyderabad and that they were unaware that he had been living in Bengaluru.
Mother was the first victim
The police suspect tensions within the family may have escalated in the days leading up to the murders.
Preliminary findings had earlier suggested that Muthulakshmi visited the apartment Sunday after her daughter invited her. During the visit, an argument is believed to have broken out over Shwetha’s relationship with Kenneth.
They also suspect that Muthulakshmi was attacked first. Somasundar and Supriya were then allegedly called to the apartment separately Monday. The police are probing whether the victims were lured to the flat as part of a planned sequence of events.
Post-mortem examinations show all three victims suffered multiple stab injuries, indicating a sustained assault.
With Shwetha now in custody and Kenneth still missing, investigators are working to reconstruct the exact timeline and motive behind the killings, using forensic evidence, digital trails, and witness statements.
Shwetha and her partner, Kenneth, have been missing since the bodies of her parents, Somasundar and Muthulakshmi, and her younger sister, Supriya, were discovered inside an apartment in Seegehalli. (Express Photo/AI-enhanced Image) 
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