Two weeks after father’s death, 10-year-old reveals he was killed

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Source Men's day out

BENGALURU: A 40-year-old Doddaballapura handloom weaver who was believed to have died after a bout of fits and cremated by his family over two weeks ago was actually murdered in front of his 10-year-old son. The man’s wife, mother-in-law and wife’s boyfriend were arrested on Monday, based on the boy’s eyewitness account.
The demise of Raghavendra N, a resident of Karenahalli, on December 27 was passed of as death due to severe epileptic attack by his wife, Shylaja, 30. Her son recently revealed how his father actually died. Shylaja was assisted by her mother Lakshmidevamma, 50, and boyfriend Hanumantha, 30, in eliminating Raghavendra, he revealed. CCTV footage from a handloom unit, which covers Raghavendra’s house, and phone call details between Shylaja and Hanumantha corroborated the eyewitness account.
Police said Hanumantha was employed at a handloom unit and Shylaja worked with a garment factory. She met Hanumantha at her workplace and they began having an affair. This led to a clash between Raghavendra and Shylaja. She and Hanumantha allegedly hatched a plan to kill him.
According to a complaint filed by Raghavendra’s younger brother Chandra Shekhar on January 7, Shylaja called him around 2.15am on December 27 and informed him that Raghavendra had sustained injuries after falling on the floor due to fits. Shekhar and his father Nanjundappa rushed to the spot and found him dead. They noticed injuries on his head.
Initially, Raghavendra’s kin believed Shylaja and performed the final rites. But they suspected foul play and questioned Shylaja’s son on December 29, who revealed a man was present at his house on the day of his dad’s death. Shekhar had rushed to Raghavendra’s home, verified CCTV footage in a nearby building and noticed a man wearing a pullover had entered the house at 10.45pm.

The boy said he woke up in the middle of the night due to some noise. He saw that his father was pinned down by his mother and her mother, while another man was hitting him on his head with a rolling pin. “I asked them why they were hitting my father.

The other man hit me hard and said that I should keep my mouth shut and not tell anything about this or he will kill me. I got scared and went back to bed,” said the boy.

Shekar then checked the CCTV footage of a shop near his brother’s house and found a man entering the house late at night. He then filed a complaint with the police. The police have arrested Shylaja, her mother Laxmidevamma, 50, and Hanumantha, 30.

Interrogation revealed that Hanumantha was Shylaja’s colleague from the garments factory where she worked. They were having an affair, said police. As Raghavendra questioned Shylaja about her relationship with Hanumantha multiple times, they planned to murder him, said police.