Man hires killers for Rs 5 lakh to eliminate wife, arrested

MYSURU: A man was arrested for hiring hitmen to kill his wife in the city. The incident occurred at the husband’s residence in BM Shri Nagar, where the wife, Nagarathna (45) was attacked with a hammer and the house was set on fire.

The husband, Mahesh, had allegedly hired two men, Bhaskar and Abhishek, to kill his wife, for Rs 5 lakh. Mahesh was unhappy with Nagarathna’s behavior, including her not showing him respect and lending money for interest out his earnings from a panipuri business.

The hitmen attacked Nagarathna, poured petrol and tried to set the house on fire, making it look like an fire accident caused by leaking gas. Nagarathna has been hospitalised and is stable, and the police have arrested the accused. The investigation revealed that Mahesh had planned the murder and instructed the hitmen to make it look like an accident. The police are investigating further.

The woman in hospital and (right) the burnt matress in the house.

Police Commissioner Seema Latkar said, “The incident occurred on December 16 and a case was registered the next day for attempted murder. The victim’s husband Mahesh and his friends Bhaskar and Abhi were found to be involved and all were arrested”.

“Bhaskar and Abhi had planned to start panipuri business and were training with Mahesh for the last 3-4 months. They went to Mahesh’s house around 6.30 pm even as he watched from a distance. The duo hit Nagarathna with a hammer on the head, opened the LPG cylinder and set fire. They then rushed out and escaped on a motorcyle. The house owner saw the men fleeing and informed the police”, the commissioner said.