By Sagaya Fernando | February 3, 2026
Kotturu, Karnataka, INDIA: The brutal murder of three members of a family in Kotturu town of Karnataka’s Vijayanagara district was driven by greed for money and not by “honour” as initially claimed by the accused, police said on Monday February 2.
Investigations have revealed that the prime accused, Akshay B J (33), killed his parents and sister to gain access to his father’s fixed deposit money. He had earlier attempted to mislead investigators by fabricating a story that his minor sister was pregnant.
Police have also booked Akshay under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for killing his sister, Amrutha, who was a minor at the time of the crime.
Dispute Over Fixed Deposits
According to police officials, Akshay’s father, Bhimaraj H (52), had recently sold a duplex house in Harapanahalli and invested around Rs 1.2 crore from the proceeds in fixed deposits. Of this, nearly Rs 50 lakh was kept in Amrutha’s name for her education, while the remaining amount was retained by Bhimaraj.
“Akshay, who was addicted to alcohol, repeatedly demanded money for his business. His parents refused, fearing he would misuse it. This led to frequent arguments within the family,” an investigating officer said.
Angered by his parents’ refusal, Akshay allegedly decided to kill them and his sister to gain control of the money.
Uncle’s Role in Crime
Police said Akshay’s uncle, Vasanth Kumar (53), played a key role in instigating and helping him plan the murders. Kumar has also been arrested in connection with the case.
Investigators found that the accused deliberately created a false narrative of an ‘honour killing’ to divert attention from the financial motive. Medical examinations later confirmed that Amrutha was not pregnant.
Crime and Cover-Up
The triple murder took place on January 27. Akshay allegedly killed his father Bhimaraj, mother Jayalakshmi (50), and sister Amrutha inside their rented house in Kotturu. He then buried their bodies within the premises to conceal the crime.
After the incident, Akshay travelled nearly 300 km to Bengaluru and attempted to file a missing persons complaint at the Tilaknagar police station, claiming that his family members had disappeared.
However, during questioning, he reportedly broke down and confessed. He gave contradictory statements about the disposal of the bodies, first claiming that he had dumped them in Sandur, before admitting that he had buried them inside the house.
Investigation and Evidence
Following his confession, Vijayanagara Superintendent of Police Jahnavi and Kudligi Deputy Superintendent of Police Mallesh visited the house and conducted a preliminary inspection.
“The premises have been sealed and the bodies were exhumed in the presence of forensic experts and a magistrate to establish the cause of death and collect evidence,” SP Jahnavi said.
Police have seized documents related to the house sale, bank records, and fixed deposit receipts as part of the investigation.
Background of the Family
The family originally hailed from Doddakittadahalli in Hosadurga taluk of Chitradurga district. They had been living in Kotturu for the past two years and were running a rebutton (clothing accessories) shop from their rented house.
Investigators believe the murders occurred inside the house before the accused fled to Bengaluru.
Both Akshay and Vasanth Kumar are currently in police custody, and further investigation is underway.
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