Autorickshaw driver dies by suicide in Bengaluru after killing wife over reel quarrel
Bengaluru: A 38-year-old autorickshaw driver allegedly murdered his wife before dying by suicide following a dispute at their residence in Vibhutipura under the jurisdiction of the HAL Police Station in Bengaluru, the police said on Wednesday.
The deceased have been identified as Raghavendra, son of Muniraju, and his wife, Shruthi Raghavendra, 30, a housemaid.
According to the police, a family dispute is suspected to have led to the tragic incident late on Tuesday night. Raghavendra ended his life by hanging himself inside the house after stabbing her to death with a beer bottle, the police added.
The couple had two children, who are currently staying with their maternal grandparents in Davanagere, near Bengaluru.
At the time of the incident, only Raghavendra and Shruthi were at their Vibhutipura house.
Preliminary reports suggested that the couple frequently quarrelled over Shruthi’s habit of watching reels on her mobile phone.
The police suspect that an argument broke out on Tuesday night after Raghavendra allegedly found his wife using her phone and watching reels.
The argument reportedly escalated, following which Raghavendra allegedly attacked Shruthi with a beer bottle and subsequently stabbed her in the stomach. She reportedly died at the spot. Raghavendra later ended his life by hanging himself.
While the reels habit is being cited as a possible trigger for the quarrel, the police said that the exact motive and circumstances leading to the incident are yet to be established.
After receiving information about the incident, the HAL Police visited the residence and conducted an inspection. The bodies were shifted for further legal procedures, and a case has been registered.
The couple had reportedly fallen in love around 18 years ago while they were studying and later married with the consent of their respective families.
Later, they had moved to Bengaluru from Davanagere and had purchased a house in Vibhutipura. Shruthi was reportedly working at an apartment complex.
The police are continuing their investigation to establish the sequence of events and ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the deaths of the husband and wife.