Bengaluru woman killed in front of bedridden husband; accused arrested in five hours

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Feb 20, 2026: The Nelamangala Town police arrested a 45-year-old provision store owner within five hours of a woman being murdered in front of her wheelchair-bound husband at Pete Beedi on Wednesday.

According to police, mounting medical expenses and business losses allegedly drove the accused to commit the crime.

The victim, Shobha (60), lived with her husband Ranganath (68), who has been bedridden for the past 12 years following a brain stroke. The couple had no children, and Shobha was his sole caregiver.

The accused, Shivakumar, who ran a provision store in the neighbourhood and was also involved in small-scale real estate dealings, resided opposite the couple’s house.

A senior police officer said Shivakumar had incurred heavy expenses for his mother’s medical treatment and suffered financial setbacks in his business. Struggling with debts and in urgent need of money, he allegedly hatched a plan to commit robbery.

Around 4 pm on Wednesday, Shivakumar allegedly entered the house through an open door while the couple was asleep. Shobha reportedly woke up, noticed his presence, and became suspicious.

Fearing that she would identify him and raise an alarm, he allegedly attacked her with a knife and slit her throat in front of her bedridden husband.

Despite trying to defend herself, Shobha collapsed and died on the spot. The accused then allegedly fled with her gold chain and other ornaments worth approximately Rs 8 lakh.

The crime came to light when a physiotherapist arrived in the evening to attend to Ranganath and found Shobha lying in a pool of blood. The Nelamangala Town police were immediately alerted.

Police formed special teams and examined CCTV footage from the area.

“Based on technical evidence and local intelligence, we secured the accused, Shivakumar, within five hours of the incident and recovered the stolen valuables. During interrogation, he confessed that financial losses and medical expenses had pushed him to commit the offence. He had known the family for 15 years, as Shobha regularly visited his provision store and was familiar with their background,” the officer said.