Bengaluru: Investigators probing the murder of seven members of a family allegedly by Indushekhar have found that the accused pawned and sold jewellery taken from the bodies of his wife and mother-in-law to finance the transportation and disposal of the victims’ remains.
According to police sources, the accused removed bloodstained ornaments from the bodies, washed them and subsequently pledged some of them at jewellery shops. The money was allegedly used to meet expenses connected with the crimes. He reportedly sold some other ornaments to buy diesel for his car, which was used to transport the bodies, while the remaining jewellery was handed over to his daughter.
The investigation has also established that the accused travelled extensively to dispose of the bodies. He allegedly drove from Bengaluru to Mangaluru and returned, later travelled to Chennai and subsequently went to Nandi Hills.
Between October 16 and November 3, he allegedly murdered seven members of his family on separate days by striking them on the head with a grinding stone at his residence. The victims included his wife Sunita, mother-in-law Roopavathi, brother-in-law Shivakumar, Shivakumar’s wife Divya and their seven-year-old son Puneeth, another brother-in-law Shankar and Shankar’s wife Nalini.
Police said the accused allegedly lured the victims home with offers of meals and alcohol. Sleeping tablets were reportedly mixed into drinks before the attacks. He allegedly increased the television volume during the murders to prevent neighbours from hearing noises.
After each killing, he cleaned the grinding stone and used chemicals to remove traces of blood from the house. The bodies were wrapped in bedsheets, packed in plastic bags and transported in his car at night.
Investigators suspect that his 17-year-old daughter assisted him in packing and moving the bodies. She has reportedly told investigators that she only followed her father’s instructions and knew little about his actions.
Police also found that the accused allegedly used a ‘Press’ sticker and a newspaper banner on his car to avoid suspicion at checkpoints. He ran a tabloid called ‘Thana Varadi’ and displayed a ‘Police Voice’ board outside his house.
The accused allegedly carried sandalwood-scented air freshener and rose water in the vehicle to mask odours. Police have seized the car as part of the investigation.
Further inquiries are under way into the daughter’s alleged involvement and the accused’s other activities, including claims that he used her to threaten and blackmail people with false POCSO cases.
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Source: The Siasat Daily
