Kengeri police arrest mother and son for killing 70-year-old woman in Subhash Nagar

A 70-year-old woman was beaten to death with a cricket bat and a wooden pestle by her daughter and grandson on Monday at an apartment in Subhash Nagar, within the Kengeri police station limits in Bengaluru. The fatal assault followed an argument over the duo's drinking habits and their leasing of properties to fund their addiction. Both suspects have been arrested by the police.

The deceased has been identified as Jayamma, 70, a native of Hassan district. The police arrested her daughter, Bhagyalakshmi, 49, who is a homemaker separated from her husband for 15 years, and her grandson, Kushal, 26, a college dropout.

According to the police, Bhagyalakshmi and Kushal had been consuming alcohol and causing regular disturbances in the apartment complex for the past four months. Their actions had caused significant inconvenience to other residents in the building. Due to the ongoing issues, the residents collectively informed Bhagyalakshmi’s husband, Krishna Nayak, about the situation.

Following the complaints, Kushal was admitted to a de-addiction centre. However, he returned home a few weeks ago. Upon his return, both Kushal and Bhagyalakshmi reportedly resumed drinking alcohol and creating disturbances. Residents of the building reported hearing loud and frequent quarrels erupting from the flat on Sunday night.

The police stated that the mother and son had allegedly been leasing out their properties to fund their drinking habit. When Jayamma objected to their behaviour, an argument broke out. The confrontation escalated, resulting in the daughter and grandson brutally assaulting Jayamma with a cricket bat and a wooden pestle, killing her.

After the incident, Kushal called a friend and requested that he bring a bottle of alcohol to the flat. When the friend arrived at the apartment, he found Jayamma lying dead near the washroom in the living room. The friend immediately alerted the police, who subsequently arrested Bhagyalakshmi and Kushal.