In a shocking twist to a brutal murder case in Bengaluru, police investigations have uncovered a failed contract killing plot that ultimately led a software engineer to shoot his wife dead himself. The Bengaluru Police have now taken into custody a key accused from Tamil Nadu, revealing layers of premeditation behind the crime that occurred on Magadi Road.
The Crime and Initial Arrest
The incident dates back to the evening of December 23. Bhuvaneshwari, a 39-year-old assistant manager at Union Bank of India's Basaveshwaranagar branch, was fatally shot in the Industrial Town area, which falls under the Magadi Road police station limits. Following the murder, her husband, 40-year-old Balamurugan, a software engineer, voluntarily surrendered to the police and was arrested. The couple, married since 2011, are parents to two children.
Initially, police probed the angle of marital discord as the motive. However, sustained interrogation of Balamurugan led investigators down a far more sinister path, exposing a calculated plan to hire an assassin.
The Aborted Contract Killing Plot
Investigators discovered that Balamurugan had been actively searching for someone to murder his wife for some time. He reportedly approached several individuals through online platforms in his quest to find a hitman. This search led him to Salem in Tamil Nadu, where he met Moulesh, a petty criminal, at a hotel.
Balamurugan allegedly offered Moulesh Rs 1.5 lakh to carry out the murder, with a specific instruction: the crime should be committed at a location not under CCTV surveillance. As part of their arrangement, a pistol was also handed over to Moulesh. The police confirmed that Moulesh later visited Bengaluru to conduct a reconnaissance of Bhuvaneshwari's workplace and her regular travel routes.
However, this plan fell apart when Moulesh returned to Tamil Nadu without informing Balamurugan and without executing the murder. This betrayal allegedly enraged Balamurugan, pushing him to take matters into his own hands.
Marital Discord and the Final Act
Providing context to the motive, Girish S, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), stated that the couple had been living separately for about one and a half years due to misunderstandings. Balamurugan suspected his wife was having an affair. While Bhuvaneshwari was seeking a legal separation, Balamurugan was opposed to it.
The situation escalated when Balamurugan discovered four months before the murder that his wife had moved to Cholarapalya in KP Agrahara. He was further incensed upon receiving a divorce notice from her. This, investigators believe, was the final trigger.
After the contract with Moulesh collapsed, Balamurugan procured weapons himself. Police revealed he had acquired two firearms, one of which was the pistol given to Moulesh, who is believed to have taken it back to Tamil Nadu. The search for this missing weapon eventually helped police uncover the deeper conspiracy.
Expanding Investigation and Future Arrests
With Moulesh already in judicial custody in Tamil Nadu for a separate theft case, the Bengaluru police obtained a warrant and transit remand to bring him to the city for detailed questioning. The Magadi Road police confirmed they have secured his custody and are interrogating him to ascertain his exact role.
The investigation is now branching out in multiple directions. Officers are working to trace the source of the illegal firearms used in the crime. Efforts are also ongoing to identify other individuals whom Balamurugan may have approached during his online search for a contract killer. Police sources indicated that further investigation is active and more arrests are likely in the coming days.
This case has laid bare a chilling narrative of domestic strife morphing into a meticulously planned homicide, involving interstate criminal networks and the dark underbelly of contract killings facilitated through digital means.
