An ex-serviceman’s son is among the three men caught after they allegedly stabbed a retired banker, Uday Raj Singh, to death at his home in Wilson Garden on Tuesday.

Four other assailants are on the run, police said. The motive for the gruesome murder is believed to be financial gain as the suspects wanted to rob an antique necklace owned by Singh. 

But police have not disclosed the identity of the three arrested suspects. The ex-serviceman’s son and other suspects had visited Singh’s house earlier on the “pretext” of purchasing the necklace.

Singh’s wife, Susheela — who was injured in the attack — had warned him against entertaining the suspect, saying he “looks like a goon”. But Singh shrugged off her warning, saying she did not know anything about business, a police officer said. 

While the three suspects were caught by alert policemen and some passersby, four others managed to escape. But they could not remain together and ran helter-skelter. None of them is believed to know who had been caught and who managed to flee. 

The absconders are trying to contact each other by phone. “This could be the vital information we need to arrest them,” the officer said. The assailants are believed to be from Mysore or Mandya district. Of them, two are suspected to have criminal record, the officer added. 

Meanwhile, police showed the necklace to expert goldsmiths who have estimated that it is worth about Rs 40 lakh. The assailants had, however, reportedly told the deceased that they would buy it for Rs seven crore so that they could sell it abroad “for a fortune”.
 
Susheela is recovering at a private hospital. The police recorded her statement on Wednesday morning.