Childless husband-wife duo was possibly killed for gain; their decomposed bodies were found four days after they were killed.
An elderly couple was found dead in their house in JP Nagar on Friday morning. The deceased were reportedly killed a few days ago. Police say it’s a murder for gain, but the exact worth of stolen property is yet to be ascertained. The couple have been identified as S Venkateshaiah, 75, and his wife Swarnambha, 68.
Deputy commissioner of police (south) Sonia Narang, said, “Around 7.30 am cook Lakshmamma (name changed) came to the house for her work. She knocked at the door and even rang the bell. When there was no response, she called one of the relatives of Swarnambha, who stays in JP Nagar, and informed them.”
The relative rushed to the house and repeatedly rang the bell. When there was no response, he opened the bedroom window and found the couple dead. They informed the police, who rushed to the spot and found the front door locked from inside. They entered the house through the rear entrance and found the couple lying in a pool of blood.
“The couple was found dead on the floor beside the bed. We found some injuries on their neck,” Narang said. “The miscreants smothered the couple to death and stabbed on their necks with knives, but we are yet to ascertain whether those were slit injuries or stab injuries,” she added.
A senior officer who did not wish to be named said, “The miscreants may have smothered the couple when they were asleep and later stabbed them.” However, the postmortem report will shed light on all this, he added.
Venkateshaiah and Swarnambha were staying in this house for the past 35 years. They had no children. Venkateshaiah, who had worked as a first divisional assistant in the education department in Bangalore, had retired in 1994. They had also rented out two houses in the area.
The neighbours said that for the last few days the deceased had not been coming out of the house. “They use to attend functions when invited. They were a very nice couple and never troubled anyone,” they added.
“We did not hear any noise and also did not sense anything foul. We saw them last on Monday,” said Radhamma, a tenant staying in the couple’s house.
According to sources, the water sump and bathroom pit on the house premises was blocked and some labourers had come to clean them. They might have killed the couple. Narang only remarked that some labourers had come for work in the house on Monday morning, but the police were not sure whether the couple was killed by them or others.
The couple owned the single floor house, which was portioned into two. They stayed at the house near the gate and had rented the rear portion to an elderly couple. On the terrace, a single room was built in which a private firm employee used to stay.
The house was not furnished with costly items. An almirah in the bedroom was found open. The miscreants may have fled with the jewellery and cash in the almirah, police sources said. A kitchen knife was found near the crime scene, but it did not have blood stains. The killers may have used some other knife, the sources said.
The police have set up three special teams to crack the case. “We are investigating the case from all possible angles,” said Narang. Fingerprint experts and sniffer dogs visited the spot and collected some evidence.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}