Noted veena player B M Chandrashekhar was arrested here on Thursday for allegedly killing his wife Preethi, 38, and her cousin Veda, 37, over a domestic dispute.
BANGALORE: A veena artiste bludgeoned his wife and her cousin over a petty domestic dispute at his house near in Nandagokula, Girinagar, south Bangalore, in the wee hours of Thursday.
The double murder came to light later in the morning when Geetha Acharya flew down from Mumbai to visit her daughter, Preethi, 38, and her husband, veena artiste B M Chandrashekar, 57, at their house. Geetha was surprised to find the front door of the house open. She walked in only to find the body of Preethi and her elder bother’s daughter Veda, 37, lying in a pool of blood.
Geetha immediately alerted the police who reached the spot and shifted the bodies to KIMS hospital. Based on Geetha’s inputs, the police zeroed in on the absconding Chandrashekar as a prime suspect. The police traced Chandrashekar’s mobile call signals and found him hiding in a partially constructed house at Girinagar. He was arrested and the murder weapon recovered from him.
DCP HS Revanna said, “Chandrashekar attacked his wife Preethi when she was sleeping and hit her with a metal rod on the head. Her cousin sister Veda, who was sleeping with Preethi, woke up and tried to stop him Chandrashekar hit her also with the rod and she too died on the spot.”
According to the police sources, Chandrashekar was a second time divorcee. Preethi, a Mangalorean, too was a divorcee. They tied the knot in 2010. While Chandrashekar had an 18-year-old daughter from his first marriage, Preethi had two girl children from her earlier marriage.
The marriage was on the rocks from the beginning. Chandrashekar’s failure to get gainful employment and abusive ways angered Preethi. She took up a job at a private higher-primary school. Moreover, Preethi was uncomfortable with Chandrashekar’s allegedly abusive ways. She lodged a domestic violence case against him at the Girinagar police station twice. Based on the second complaint filed in December last, Chandrashekar was arrested and later released on bail.
A neighbour, Meenakshi, said things only worsened between the couple. “After one such fight last week, Preethi took her children and left for her mother’s house in Mumbai, vowing never to return. She returned later in the company of Veda, apparently for reasons of safety. Preethi said she came back to collect her belongings.”
Geetha said she received a call form her daughter on Wednesday night. “She said it was impossible to live with Chandrashekar. I assured her that I would visit her home the next morning. I flew down from Mumbai and planned to take her to our native Mangalore, once and for all. But I could not save my child,” she told police.
Contradictory versions
However, contradicting the police theory on Chandrashekar, Narendra Sharma, a relative said: “He is a creative person and had been a part of major musical tours across Mauritius, Maldives, Singapore and India. He is not a violent person. But provocative actions of Preethi had destroyed the atmosphere of their house and that was also primarily responsible for Chandrashekar’s violent action.”
However, Malini, a neighbour, said: “The couple fought on various occasions. Twice last year, the police took Chandrashekar into custody for assaulting and harassing Preethi. On another occasion, the police had intervene after Preethi did not allow Chandrashekar to enter the house.”
According to the police, Chandrashekar was arrested once in December last year, but was released on bail. As far as Veda’s death was concerned, the police believe it was only unfortunate she was present in the house at the wrong time.
