Bengaluru: Man arrested for murdering wife over domestic row

Bengaluru: The Bommanahalli police have arrested a man for allegedly murdering his wife over a domestic issue, officials said on Wednesday.

The arrested suspect is Harish Kumar, 33, a civil engineering graduate. He was married to Padmaja (29), also a civil engineering graduate, who was a homemaker at the time of her death.

On July 8, the Bommanahalli police received a Medico-Legal Case (MLC) report about an unnatural death. Investigators identified the deceased as Padmaja.

"We came to know about the murder after the revelation by the couple’s four-year-old daughter,” a police officer said. The couple also have another daughter, aged one year.

The elder child reportedly told the police that Kumar assaulted Padmaja. He placed his foot on her neck when she fell and strangled her. "This led to his arrest. He has confessed to the murder and is currently remanded in judicial custody,” the officer added.

On the night of July 6, Padmaja's brother informed their father about an issue at the couple’s house. The brother rushed over to find Padmaja unconscious, while Kumar was still inside.

The family took her to hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Medical staff also flagged injury marks on her neck to the police.

Investigations revealed that the couple, originally from Srinivasapura, had moved to Bengaluru five years ago after their wedding. The police found that although they were initially happy, Kumar later began coming home drunk, assaulting Padmaja, and demanding dowry from her.