Triple murder: Techie’s AI searches on knife attacks, chilli powder and breaking knees surface in probe

 

By Sumesh Rajan | October 7, 2026

Bengaluru, Karnataka, INDIA: The investigation into the June triple murder at Seegehalli in Bengaluru’s KR Pura area has revealed that the accused, 25-year-old tech professional J. Kenneth, allegedly used artificial intelligence to search for ways to attack and incapacitate people before the killings, according to police.

Kenneth is accused of killing the parents and sister of his live-in partner, Shwetha, following a dispute linked to loans and mounting financial pressure.

Investigators examining Kenneth’s laptop found a series of searches that police believe could be relevant to the case. According to investigators, the queries included how to fatally attack someone with a kitchen knife, how to blind a person using vinegar and chilli powder or chilli paste, how to break the knees of three people, and how to overpower three intruders inside a house in an isolated location.

Police said Kenneth had also searched for information about weapons associated with killings. Other queries were related to repeated calls from banks over a friend’s loan and ways to declare bankruptcy.

However, investigators have not established what responses the AI system provided to Kenneth. Police said the queries were noticed in a dropdown window on Google while the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) was examining his laptop and other material seized during the investigation.

A senior police officer said Kenneth frequently interacted with AI and appeared to treat it like a friend. Investigators have attached significance to the searches because they allegedly preceded the June 22 killings.

Police also recovered a bottle containing what appeared to be a mixture of vinegar and chilli powder from the crime scene. Whitefield Division DCP Saidulu Adavat said the material was sent to the FSL for examination.

₹52-Lakh Debt at Centre of Alleged Motive

According to the 2,085-page chargesheet filed before a city court, investigators believe financial disputes and mounting pressure over unpaid loans formed the backdrop to the killings.

Shwetha, who also worked in the technology sector, had allegedly raised loans totalling around ₹52 lakh for Kenneth within a year. The amount reportedly included a ₹30-lakh business loan, personal loans of ₹8 lakh and ₹6 lakh from two banks, and another ₹8 lakh borrowed from friends, relatives, classmates and colleagues.

The financial arrangement came to the attention of Shwetha’s parents after repayments were allegedly missed and the bank that had sanctioned the business loan sent a notice to their home.

Her parents, Somasundar, 55, and Muthulakshmi, 50, subsequently learnt about the extent of the borrowing allegedly undertaken to support Kenneth.

This led to tensions within the family. According to the investigation, Somasundar confronted Kenneth and questioned him about how the borrowed money had been used and why the family was receiving notices over unpaid loans.

June 22 Attack

The dispute allegedly culminated in violence on the night of June 22 at the family’s residence in the Sai Green Apartment complex in Seegehalli.

Police allege that Kenneth attacked Somasundar, Muthulakshmi and their 20-year-old daughter Supriya with a knife.

Despite suffering multiple injuries, Somasundar reportedly managed to get out of the apartment and reach the staircase, where he alerted security personnel and others that Kenneth was attacking his wife and daughter inside.

Somasundar was rushed to a private hospital but later died. Muthulakshmi and Supriya were found with multiple stab injuries and also succumbed.

According to the chargesheet, Shwetha witnessed the attack and later described before the court how Kenneth allegedly attacked her parents and sister.

The alleged AI searches have now emerged as an important element of the police investigation, particularly because of the apparent similarity between some of the queries and material recovered from the crime scene.

However, what information the AI system actually provided in response to Kenneth’s searches remains unclear.