Seven people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 38-year-old woman in South Bengaluru’s Jigani town earlier this week, police said on Thursday, adding the accused included her second husband and the daughter from her first marriage.
According to the police, Archana Reddy, a resident of Bellandur, was hacked to death in front of her 16-year-old son on Monday. Reddy had gone to Jigani town with her son to cast her vote in the municipal corporation election. She was on her way back in her car, when four assailants on two motorbikes ambushed the vehicle and attacked her. She died on the spot, police said.
A day after the incident, videos of the attack surfaced on social media, where assailants could be seen hacking Reddy with machetes in the middle of the road, police said, adding that the accused had broken the window of the car and dragged her out, before attacking her.
HT could not independently verify the authenticity of videos.
Police said based on their investigation so far, the murder was planned by Reddy’ second husband Naveen Kumar (33), who was also her former gym trainer. Police said a family dispute could have been behind the murder.
Reddy had divorced her first husband Aravind in 2013, following which she married Naveen.
“A few months ago, she had found out that Naveen was having an affair with her 21-year-old daughter, Yuvika, from the first marriage. She asked Naveen to leave her and in the course of time, she had filed a dowry harassment complaint him in November, alleging he was trying to take over her ancestral property,” a senior police officer said.
Reddy’s late father was a realtor and had left properties in and around Jigani, Bellandur and Sarjapura area in her name, police said.
After Naveen was asked to leave her house, her daughter too decided to leave the house and live with Naveen. Last month, the daughter began demanding her share of property from her mother, which the latter denied, police said.
At the same time, according to the police, Archana befriended another person named Rohith, who had threatened Naveen. This irked Naveen, police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), South East, Srinath M Joshi, the woman’s husband Naveen Kumar, his associate, Santhosh, and others were arrested after a preliminary inquiry. Since the police suspected the role of her daughter, Yuvika Reddy, they took her into custody as well, Joshi added.
“The accused conspired to kill the woman to get her property. The accused confessed to the crime and the motive during questioning. Archana and Naveen had married five years ago but had been fighting over property and money over the last few months. A complaint was also filed earlier against Naveen by Archana at the Jigani police station alleging that she was physically assaulted,” said Joshi.
Police said that Naveen hired the attacked and committed a premeditated murder. A statement from the 16-year-old son of the Reddy, who was a witness to the murder, and video footage of the incident, helped crack the case, said police.
