'Stabbed her even after death': Bengaluru man kills nurse wife, hangs self

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A 29-year-old man allegedly stabbed his wife to death in a brutal attack before taking his own life at their rented home in Bengaluru on Sunday, sending shockwaves through the local community.

The horrific scene was discovered by the woman’s father, Periyaswamy, around 9.30pm on Ullal Main Road. According to a report in TOI, he had returned from work in Tumakuru with his nephew to find the door locked from the inside.

After obtaining a spare key, they entered to find 27-year-old Manju P lying on a bed in a pool of blood and her husband, Dharmaseelan Ramesh, hanging beside her.

Police investigations indicate the crime occurred on Sunday afternoon. A senior officer disclosed that Manju’s body bore approximately 45 injuries. The assailant had slit her throat and stabbed her multiple times in the neck and across her body. The officer added, “We suspect he stabbed her even after her death.”

The couple, both natives of Tamil Nadu, had been married since September 2022 and had no children. As reported by TOI, their married life was marked by separation; after living together in Tamil Nadu for a year, Dharmaseelan, a mason, moved to Dubai for work. Manju, a nurse, subsequently relocated to Bengaluru to live with her parents.

Dharmaseelan had returned to India just a month prior to the tragedy. After Manju spent two weeks with him at his house in Tamil Nadu, she returned to her job and her rented Bengaluru flat, where she lived with her father. Periyaswamy, who is also a mason, was away for work when Dharmaseelan arrived.

In a chilling prelude, Dharmaseelan had called Periyaswamy on Thursday, informing him that he planned to stay with Manju and find work in Bengaluru going forward.

The investigation is now probing the motives behind the extreme violence. Preliminary information from Manju’s family suggests that Dharmaseelan harboured suspicions about her being friendly with other men at her workplace.

Police are likely to explore this alleged jealousy as a potential trigger for the gruesome murder-suicide that has left two families shattered and a neighbourhood in mourning.