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B’luru Killer Couple Arrested, Probe Shows Innocents Held Earlier

Two innocents were jailed for three months because of botched up police investigation.

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In a major breakthrough, Bengaluru police arrested a city-based couple who were targeting elderly couples with no children, only to murder them on a ‘friendly visit’ to their homes.

Married for three years, with a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, the suspects Venkatesh, who worked as a cabbie for an app-based aggregator, and his wife Arpita, had loans amounting to Rs 10 lakh.

Regular viewers of shows on crime on local TV channels, the couple decided to raise money to repay the debts by murdering people, said police.

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While this arrest was a breakthrough, it revealed a blunder committed by another police team three months ago.

For a murder committed by these two, another couple was arrested by Mandya district police three months ago. While these two were plotting their second murder, two innocents were spending time in jail.

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The Botched up Probe

Venkatesh and Arpita were arrested following an investigation into the murders of Chandragowda (63) and his wife Lakshmamma (55) at their residence in Bengaluru’s RHB Colony in Garudacharpalya, on 16 October.

On 12 July, three months before the Bengaluru murder, the couple had targeted another elderly couple – Gundegowda and his wife Chandramma – in Mandya district’s Rayasamudra.

The couple met these senior citizens at a wedding. Realising they had no children, the couple got close to them. After building a rapport, on 12 July, they stayed over at the senior citizens’ house in Rayasamudra. That night, Venkatesh killed them both using a spanner and, along with wife, ran away with the gold in the house.

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KR Pet police in Mandya were given charge of this investigation. Within a week, they arrested the murdered senior citizens’ neighbours – Yogesh and his wife, Sujatha.

According to an officer familiar with case details, the reason for the arrest was the constant arguments between the two families.

While Yogesh and Sujatha were behind the bars, the real culprits were on the hunt for another target. In another marriage, the couple came across Chandragowda and Lakshmamma, who were distant relatives of the couple. They got friendly with the senior citizen, eventually murdering them on 16 October in Bengaluru.

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How Did the Earlier Murder Come to Light?

Police are unclear whether the couple knew that two others were arrested for their crime. But after being arrested for the Bengaluru murder, Venkatesh and Arpita didn’t speak about the earlier murder.

During the investigation, the couple had given cops information about the jewellery store, where they had sold the stolen gold. While questioning the owners of this jewellery store, police learnt that Arpita had sold gold to them three months earlier as well.

The investigators questioned the couple once again and this time they confessed to the earlier murder.

By then Yogesh and Sujatha had already spent three months in jail.

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Departmental Probe Ordered

Confirming the development, MN Anucheth, DCP Whitefield, who is the supervising officer for the Bengaluru murder said that they have informed their counterparts in Mandya about the new revelation. “As of now we have informally told them about the new evidence and an official report will be sent in couple of days after the procedures are complete,” he said.

A senior police officer said that a departmental enquiry will be ordered into the matter. “About their release, Mandya police will have to file a report to the court about the new evidence. This will ensure the couple, wrongfully arrested will be released,” he said.

He, however added that the release may not be immediate because of the legal process involved.

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Topics:  Bengaluru Police 

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