Triple murder and suicide in Peenya
A mentally unstable man allegedly hacked his mother, grandmother, and brother-in-law to death before dying by suicide in Bengaluru's Peenya area on Saturday. The incident came to light around 8.30 am after neighbours heard screams and alerted the police through the 112 emergency helpline.
The accused has been identified as Prashant, a 30-year-old resident of the same locality. According to police, Prashant had a history of mental illness and was under treatment. The victims were his mother Shobha (55), grandmother Nagamma (75), and brother-in-law Mahesh (35).
Sequence of events
Police said that around 8 am, Prashant picked up a machete and attacked his family members in a fit of rage. Shobha and Nagamma died on the spot, while Mahesh succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital. After the attack, Prashant locked himself in a room and hanged himself.
“We received a call from neighbours who heard loud screams and breaking of furniture. When we reached the spot, we found four bodies. Prashant was hanging from the ceiling fan, and the other three were lying in a pool of blood,” said a senior police officer.
Investigation underway
The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, and a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Police are investigating the motive and have recorded statements from neighbours. “Preliminary inquiry suggests Prashant was not taking his medication regularly, which may have triggered the incident,” the officer added.
Neighbours described Prashant as a quiet person who rarely interacted with others. “He used to stay indoors most of the time. We never expected something like this,” said a neighbour.
