By Sumesh Rajan | February 20, 2026
Bengaluru, Karnataka, INDIA: A 60-year-old woman was allegedly stabbed and strangled to death by her neighbour inside her home in Nelamangala on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Wednesday February 18 evening, in front of her wheelchair-bound husband. The accused was arrested within six hours of the crime, police said.
The victim, R. Shobha, was attacked around 4 pm at her residence in Petebeedi Lane. Her husband, Ranganath, 70, who has been paralysed from the neck down for the past 14 years, was present inside the house and unable to intervene.
According to police, the accused, identified as N. Shivakumar, 36, a grocery shop owner living a few houses away, entered the house on the pretext of asking for water. Investigators said he had allegedly been observing the couple for some time and was aware that Shobha frequently wore gold ornaments.
Police said Shivakumar initially planned to steal gold jewellery to repay debts amounting to approximately ₹8 lakh. During interrogation, he reportedly confessed that he entered the house when he believed the couple would be away for at least an hour, as Shobha often took her husband outside for a sunbath in the afternoons.
However, the couple returned earlier than expected and Shobha allegedly caught him rummaging through cupboards. Fearing that she would alert the police, Shivakumar allegedly pulled out a knife from the kitchen and stabbed her in the neck before strangling her. He then fled the scene with her mangalsutra and two gold bangles, amounting to over 100 grams of gold, police said.
The crime came to light around 6 pm when Purushottam, a physiotherapist who had been treating Ranganath for nearly a decade, arrived at the house and found Shobha lying unresponsive. He immediately alerted the police.
Officers from Nelamangala Town Police registered a case and began examining CCTV footage from the surrounding area. Footage showed a man arriving at the victim’s house on a gearless scooter and leaving hurriedly about 30 minutes later.
“CCTV analysis and local intelligence helped us identify the suspect quickly. He was standing among the onlookers when we reached the spot and even casually enquired about the investigation,” a senior police officer said.
Police traced the footage to Shivakumar, who initially denied visiting the house. However, when confronted with video evidence, he reportedly changed his statement. A subsequent search of his residence led to the recovery of the stolen mangalsutra and bangles.
“He targeted the elderly woman after noticing the gold ornaments she was wearing. Financial distress appears to have been the motive behind the crime,” an investigating officer said.
Shivakumar was arrested later that night. Police are continuing their investigation to determine whether he may have been involved in similar offences in the area.
Shobha and her husband had been residing in Petebeedi Lane since 2014. The couple did not have children.
Comments
Post a Comment