Bengaluru family murders: Cab driver accused of killing seven; police recover one body

• Bengaluru cab driver Indushekhar is accused of killing seven family members over several weeks.

• Only one body has been recovered; police are examining the circumstances in which his minor daughter accompanied him while transporting bodies.

• Investigators are checking domestic disputes, suspected financial motives and evidence recovered from the seized car.

Bengaluru cab driver Indushekhar, arrested on suspicion of murdering seven members of his family, is being investigated over a series of killings allegedly committed over several weeks, with police still searching for six of the bodies.

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge said on Saturday that the investigation was progressing, and officers were verifying the accused’s account, including claims about domestic disagreements and strained relations with his wife’s family.

Indushekhar is in the custody of Rajajinagar police. According to The Week, investigators began questioning him after the mother of one of the missing women, Nalini, reported her disappearance. The publication reported that the seven victims included a seven-year-old boy, Puneeth, whose body was the only one recovered.

Speaking to reporters, Kharge said police were withholding further details while inquiries continued.

“The accused has cited several reasons, including that his wife’s family members did not speak to him properly. He has also made allegations against his wife. We are verifying all these claims,” he said.

Neighbours had reportedly described frequent arguments between the couple. Police were checking those accounts rather than accepting the accused’s explanations as an established motive.

Investigators are also examining whether Indushekhar manipulated his minor daughter into accompanying him while transporting the bodies. Kharge said preliminary information suggested that the accused had influenced her into trusting and following him, but her role remained under investigation.

The daughter has reportedly told police that she acted on her father’s instructions.

According to investigators, Indushekhar allegedly believed that travelling with the child would make his movements appear less suspicious. The bodies were reportedly transported in the early morning.

“It will take more time to establish all the facts,” Kharge said.

The Week reported that investigators suspected a heavy household grinding implement had been used in the killings. It also said Indushekhar allegedly explained his wife’s disappearance to neighbours by claiming she had gone travelling with friends, while switching off her phone. These details remain part of the police investigation.

Police suspect the killings occurred between mid-October and early November, with bodies transported and disposed of on separate dates. Investigators are examining locations around Nandi Hills and Shiradi Ghat as they seek to establish the sequence of events.

The accused allegedly wrapped the bodies in several layers of adhesive tape before moving them. Police are also investigating whether he removed gold ornaments from the victims and subsequently sold or pledged some of the jewellery.

A Toyota Etios suspected to have been used to transport the bodies has been seized. The vehicle carried a ‘Press’ sticker.

Investigators reportedly found rose water, bedsheets and other materials inside the car. They suspect the rose water was used to conceal the smell of decomposition and are examining the other items for evidence.

Police are separately checking allegations that Indushekhar used his minor daughter to threaten people with complaints under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and demand money. Those allegations have not been established.

Relatives have also sought an investigation into claims of his involvement in earlier offences, The Week reported.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Prabhavathi has been appointed investigating officer, taking over the case from Inspector Krishna. Additional Commissioner of Police Vamshi Krishna will supervise the inquiry.

The investigation is focused on locating the remaining bodies, establishing how the victims died and checking the suspected domestic and financial motives against forensic and other evidence.

With agency inputs