Image showing a dead body. For representational purposes.
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Bengaluru: Software engineer Selva Balamurugan “meticulously planned” the murder of his wife, conducting extensive online research and procuring an illegal firearm from Bihar, police investigations have revealed.
The 40-year-old carried out detailed Google searches and data research, and watched videos online to study different methods of killing and ensure the execution was effective, a police officer close to the investigation said.
On Tuesday evening, Balamurugan allegedly shot dead his estranged wife Bhuvaneshwari (39) near her home in Rajajinagar before walking into a police station and surrendering, police said.
The victim had served him a divorce notice just a week earlier.
Bhuvaneshwari was an assistant bank manager and lived with her two children. Balamurugan, who worked at a multinational in Whitefield, quit his job a few months ago.
The couple, married in 2011, had been living separately for the past one-and-a-half years due to marital discord.
Police said Balamurugan suspected his wife of having an extramarital affair, while Bhuvaneshwari was seeking legal separation, which he opposed.
Balamurugan, a native of Salem in Tamil Nadu, was “extremely possessive” and could not tolerate his wife’s alleged extramarital relationship, which police believe was the primary motive behind the crime. Determined to kill her, he also carried a knife as a backup weapon in case the firearm misfired.
Preliminary investigations further revealed that soon after Bhuvaneshwari separated from him, Balamurugan allegedly threatened her family members, warning that he would kill her if she continued to live away from him. However, the family ignored the threats.
After his surrender, police arrested Balamurugan, subjected him to a medical examination and obtained a court order for custodial interrogation.
Investigations revealed that he travelled by train to Bihar in July and bought a country-made pistol for Rs 80,000 from a gunrunner.
“He stayed there for some time, bought two magazines and learnt how to operate the firearm,” the officer told DH.
A special police team will travel to Bihar to identify and apprehend the gunrunner based on information provided by Balamuragan, the officer added.
Police have also sought the help of a ballistics expert to shed more light on the firearm.