Bengaluru: In a breakthrough, the police have arrested 21-year-old Nandisha, an engineering graduate, in a case where the body of a 69-year-old woman was recovered from a closet in a house in Kengeri on May 7. He has been charged with helping his friend dispose the body a 69-year-old woman, killed by her daughter.
During the course of investigation, the police found that 42-year-old Shashikala, a homemaker, bludgeoned her mother Shantha Kumari after she refused to eat and stuffed the body in cupboard in a bedroom and plastered it last August. The woman was helped by her son and his friend to dispose off the body. The mother-son duo continued to live in the house for seven months till February 2, before they locked the house and left.
The landlord, Naveen, approached the Kengeri police complaining of foul smell emanating from the house he had rented out. Based on his complaint, the police recovered the highly decomposed body of Shantha Kumari and launched a massive manhunt for the Shashikala and her son Vinay (21).
The police during the course of investigations analysed the call record details and stumbled upon the information that the accused Sanjay was in touch with Nandisha, a resident of Kumblagodu.
The police picked up Nandisha for questioning, who later confessed to helping his friend dispose off the body.
Nandisha told the police that Sanjay was his classmate when they were pursuing aeronautical engineering in a private college in 2014.
Sanjay had approached Nandisha and sought his help to dispose off the body.
Nandish told the police that Shashikala was angry with her mother for throwing the food served to her and refusing to eat. Enraged by this behaviour, Shashikala bludgeoned her mother with a rolling pin. Severe blows resulted in her death due to severe bleeding, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (west) M.N. Anuchet, who is supervising the investigation.
Shocked by the death, Shashikala called Sanjay and the duo decided to dispose off the body. They initially stuffed the body inside a closet for two days and later Sanjay approached Nandish and convinced him to help.
As per their plan, the duo purchased a plastic drum from a shop in Mariyappanapalya and brought charcoal and mud to cover the body.
They tried to stuff the body inside the drum along with charcoal and mud and dispose it in an isolated place, but failed. Then they decided tape the body and stuff it inside the closet. The accused later covered the body with charcoal and mud and plastered the cupboard and painted the plastered part.
The accused even taped the windows of the house to prevent foul smell from going out. The accused left when foul smell from the decomposed body started emanating.
"Though the owner of the house and few neighbours inquired with Sanjay and Shashikala about Shantha Kumari’s whereabouts, the accused lied to them stating that she was not well and they had taken her to her Shivamogga for treatment,” Mr. Anuchet said.
Before vacating the house, Sanjay approached Naveen and concocted a story that his relative was serious and that he needed money. Naveen gave him ₹ 50,000 on February 2.
After waiting for three months, Naveen went to clean up the house on May 7. To his shock, the house was filled with a foul smell and he found some blood soaked cloths dumped inside a drum and a recently cemented cupboard.
Suspecting something fishy, Naveen informed the police. Inquiries further revealed that Sanjay was working in a private firm and had borrowed money from his office citing health issues.
A senior police officer said that they have some clues about the whereabouts of Sanjay and Shashikala and that they will be nabbed soon.
