Bengaluru woman shot dead by out-of-job husband a week after divorce notice

(Representative image)

A 40-year-old software professional shot his estranged wife dead on a busy road in Bengaluru during the evening rush hour on Tuesday, before walking into a police station with the pistol and surrendering.

The 39-year-old victim, identified as Bhuvaneshwari, was working as an assistant manager at Union Bank of India's Basaveshwaranagar branch. Both the man and woman belonged to Salem district in Tamil Nadu, according to a report by The Times of India.

The accused, Balamurugan, was a software engineer by degree and earlier worked in a private firm, but has been unemployed for the last four years. The couple got married in 2011 and moved to Bengaluru in 2018 after he joined a private software company.

They were living separately for more than a year due to marital disputes. The woman stayed with the children in Rajajinagar. Police said the accused suspected his wife of having an illicit relationship, which led to frequent arguments, according to a report by NDTV.

Around a week ago, Bhuvaneshwari sent a divorce notice to Balamurugan, and the case was pending in a court.

On Tuesday, Balamurugan allegedly traced his wife's movements and waited for her to return from work. Around 6.30 pm, he fired four rounds at her, including a fatal shot, on 1st Main Road in the Rajajinagar Industrial Area.

Two bullets struck Bhuvaneshwari on the head, while the remaining two hit her hand, causing fatal injuries. She was rushed to Shanbhog Hospital but was declared dead.