The Shocking Discovery That Shook Bengaluru
In April 2014, the peaceful neighborhood of Banaswadi in Bengaluru was rocked by a brutal crime that would challenge local police for nearly a year. Mary Lucas, a 68-year-old woman from Kerala who had been operating a successful paying guest business called 'Homely Home' for over 25 years, was found dead in her Kacharakanahalli residence.
The tragedy unfolded on April 29, 2014, around 4 PM when Lucas's son Stinoj, working in Chennai, grew concerned after repeated calls to his mother went unanswered. He immediately alerted his brother Jijin, who ran a BPO center at HBR Layout. Within ten minutes, Jijin reached their family home and made the horrifying discovery.
Jijin found the entrance door damaged and the house completely ransacked. His mother's body showed signs of violent struggle - her hands and mouth bound with distinctive brown tape, with cloth pieces used as a gag. The gold chain and two bangles she always wore were missing, indicating robbery as the primary motive.
The Investigation That Hit Dead Ends
Mohan Kumar B S, then police inspector at Banaswadi police station, recalled the immediate response. "I was at the station when we received the information and we immediately rushed to the spot," he said. "There were a lot of home-alone murders at the time in Bengaluru, and it was clear that the motive was robbery."
The investigation faced multiple challenges from the beginning. Five occupants were staying at the PG facility, but all had alibis and were cleared after intensive questioning. Forensic teams, dog squads, and other officials collected evidence, but crucial elements were missing.
"There were no CCTV cameras at PGs or that stretch of the road," an investigating officer revealed. "We checked the family background to see if there were any disputes, but there were none." The absence of mobile phone usage traces and any substantial evidence left investigators scrambling.
As months passed without breakthroughs, political pressure mounted significantly. Lucas had strong community connections and friends with political influence in Kerala. The situation escalated to the point where senior police officials considered transferring the case to Karnataka's Criminal Investigation Department or even filing a closure report.
The Breakthrough: Brown Tape Connection
The turning point came nearly a year later, in February 2015, when another murder was reported under Varthur police station jurisdiction. A 65-year-old homemaker named Manjulamma was found murdered in her residence with jewellery worth ₹10 lakh stolen. Crucially, her mouth, hands, and legs had been taped with similar brown tape.
Police sub-inspector Mirza Ali Razzaq, who was working on the Lucas case, noticed the identical modus operandi during a visit to Varthur police station. The Varthur police had already solved Manjulamma's murder by tracking a stolen mobile phone, leading to the arrest of four accused: J Setu (24), Prabhu (23), Nanda Kumar (21), and Ajith Kumar (20).
The Banaswadi police decided to question these suspects about the Lucas murder. During simultaneous interrogations in different rooms, investigators discovered that using tape to bind victims was Prabhu's signature technique. Though all initially denied involvement in Lucas's case, forensic evidence eventually linked Prabhu to the crime scene.
Justice Finally Served
Prabhu's confession revealed two more accomplices from Tamil Nadu's Dharmapuri district - Viji (23) and Thangaraju (20). The investigation achieved a significant victory when police recovered Lucas's stolen gold ornaments from two jewellery shops in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu - Ganesh Jewellers and Girish Jewellers.
The motive emerged during investigations: Viji, who was in the waste paper business, had previously collected papers from Lucas and noticed her gold jewellery. During a drinking session with friends, he proposed targeting her for quick money.
On March 28, 2015, nearly a year after the murder, Banaswadi police arrested all accused. The case proceeded through the judicial system, and on November 4 this year, the 59th additional city civil and sessions court convicted all three accused to life imprisonment.
In his 49-page judgment, Judge Balachandra N Bhat noted that "the modus operandi of the accused was traced in another case and the investigating officer cannot be doubted although there may be shortcomings."
Mohan Kumar, now a deputy superintendent of police in Bengaluru rural district, reflected on the challenging case: "There was no relationship or even acquaintance between the accused and the victim. They just visited her house for 15 minutes or so and vanished to Tamil Nadu. No mobile phones were used, nor was any evidence left behind. I am relieved that Mary's family has got justice."
