Techie kills wife, stuffs body in trolley bag before consuming poison in repentance

The accused, identified as 36-year-old Rakesh Rajendra Khedkar, is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Pune after consuming poison before his arrest

Bengaluru: The preliminary investigation into the murder of a housewife, whose body was stuffed into a trolley bag in Bengaluru, has indicated that the crime was committed by her techie husband in a fit of rage, police sources stated on Friday.

The Karnataka Police successfully tracked the accused, who had gone into a state of repentance and consumed cockroach poison to end his life. Acting swiftly, they coordinated with the Maharashtra Police, detained him near Pune, and shifted him to a hospital. The Bengaluru Police’s quick response has been widely appreciated.

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Karnataka Police remained in contact with the accused husband, who had gone on the run after killing his wife and packing her body into a trolley bag. They maintained communication with him until his arrest by the Maharashtra Police in Pune.

The accused, identified as 36-year-old Rakesh Rajendra Khedkar, is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Pune after consuming poison before his arrest. Karnataka Police have reached Pune and are monitoring his medical condition. They will bring him back to Bengaluru once doctors give medical clearance.

According to the investigation, Rakesh slit the throat of his 32-year-old wife, Gauri Rajendra Khedkar, and stabbed her in the abdomen at their residence. He then folded her legs and stuffed her body into a trolley bag. After cleaning the house with phenyl, he placed the bag near the toilet room and fled.

The gruesome crime came to light on Thursday. After committing the murder, the accused told carpenters living nearby that his wife had committed suicide. He then called the police control room, his landlord, and his wife’s parents to confess to the crime.

As he continued making calls while on the run, the police managed to track him using the contact number available with the control room. They remained in communication with him while coordinating with the Maharashtra Police, providing his location to facilitate his arrest.

Sources reveal that DCP (South East) Sarah Fathima was in direct contact with Rakesh and played a key role in ensuring his detention in Pune and subsequent hospitalization.

The accused demanded that an FIR be registered before he surrendered. The Karnataka Police complied with his request, but he later lost connection. However, investigators discovered that he was using another SIM card to make calls to his friends from the same mobile phone, allowing them to keep track of him.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Gauri had quarrelled with her in-laws and had persuaded her husband to move from Maharashtra to Bengaluru. The couple lived in a modest locality and did not interact with their neighbours. Residents of the area told police that whenever they saw the couple, they were usually holding hands and walking together.

One of the neighbours informed the police that Rakesh had recently collapsed at home due to low blood sugar, and they had helped him regain consciousness.

Further investigations suggest that Rakesh was frustrated with Gauri for not securing a job, leading to frequent arguments. During one such altercation, he slapped her, prompting her to throw a knife at him, causing an injury. Enraged, he then slit her throat and repeatedly stabbed her in the abdomen.

The swift action of the Bengaluru Police, who managed to apprehend the accused within 24 hours, has been widely commended.

Gauri’s body has been sent for post-mortem examination.

DCP Fathima said, “The couple hailed from Maharashtra and shifted to Bengaluru one year ago. The owner of the house called the police control room after finding the body in the suitcase. The deceased woman completed her bachelor’s in Mass Media, and the accused husband worked at a private firm. He was working from home.”