A woman and her male associate were arrested in connection with the murder of her husband and four-year-old son at their home, police said on Tuesday. The accused have been identified as Harini and Vinay Kumar, they said.
Police said Abhinandan, 35, and his son were found dead under suspicious circumstances at their home in Chikkabanavara on Monday morning.
Speaking to reporters, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) D K Nagesh said the double murder was uncovered during sustained investigation into the suspicious deaths, following which a case of murder was registered.
"During the investigation, it has come to light that the wife of the deceased Abhinandan was involved in the offence. So, we questioned her. She has been arrested, and her friend Kumar has also been secured," he said.
He said that Harini, along with Kumar, murdered Abhinandan and her son.
Initially, she had cooked up a story to mislead the investigators, but later confessed to having murdered the two, the DCP said.
According to him, after returning home on Sunday night after visiting one of their relatives, Abhinandan and his son went to sleep, following which the accused woman, along with her friend, killed them by smothering them.
"Both husband and wife had frequent quarrels over many small issues. So, on Friday, they quarrelled. She decided to get rid of her husband and sought the help of her friend, and both of them planned it, and they executed it on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday," he said.
Police said the initial plan targeted only the husband, but when the son woke up and witnessed the assault, the accused allegedly smothered the child as well to destroy evidence.
The matter came to light after his wife alerted the police by calling the emergency helpline 112, saying that when she woke up, she found her husband and son lying unresponsive.
When police reached the spot, they found the bodies. Though there were no stab injuries or any major visible injuries, the investigation revealed that the two had been smothered.
"He (son) woke up when this incident was happening. He saw that. The woman did not want to leave any trail or any evidence, so she killed him," the DCP added.
According to a formal complaint by Abhinandan's mother, Harini had eloped with Kumar about a year ago but returned home two months later. Despite this, Abhinandan accepted her back into the household. However, frequent quarrels continued.
Further investigation is underway.
