Bengaluru Realtor Murdered: Wife and Mother-in-Law Accused, Claiming ‘Endless Harassment’

BENGALURU: Authorities have cracked the case of a realtor found stabbed to death on the city’s outskirts last Saturday, arresting his 19-year-old wife and 37-year-old mother-in-law as the prime suspects. Police say the pair resorted to murder after enduring persistent harassment from the victim.

The suspects, Yashasvini Singh and Hema Bai, were taken into custody by Soladevanahalli police following the killing of 37-year-old Loknath Singh. The realtor’s body, bearing stab wounds to the neck, was discovered in BGS Layout near the Bilijaji area in north Bengaluru. Loknath, a resident of Kannur Gate in Magadi taluk, Ramanagara district, was reportedly sedated before the fatal attack, according to initial police findings.

Loknath, known to have a record of cheating cases, wed Yashasvini four months ago despite her family’s disapproval. Since September 2023, he allegedly used threats and blackmail to pressure her relatives into agreeing to the marriage. After tying the knot, he began tormenting Yashasvini, subjecting her to physical and emotional abuse whenever she resisted his demands. The situation reached a breaking point when Loknath reportedly insisted that Yashasvini persuade her mother, Hema Bai, to engage in a physical relationship with him. Unable to cope, Yashasvini left him and sought refuge at her parents’ home.

Undeterred, Loknath tracked her down and issued fresh threats to her family, including her father, Krishna Singh, warning of severe repercussions if she didn’t return. Police state that this relentless intimidation drove Yashasvini and Hema Bai to devise a plan to end the ordeal permanently. “They saw no other way out,” authorities noted, explaining that the duo meticulously plotted the murder, waiting for the right moment to strike.

The arrests have stunned the local community, casting a spotlight on the desperate measures some take to escape abusive circumstances.