Neighbour kills 69-year-old woman in front of wheelchair-bound husband in Bengaluru

A 69-year-old woman was strangled to death inside her home in Nelamangala on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Wednesday, allegedly by her neighbour who fled with more than 100 grams of gold ornaments. The victim’s wheelchair-bound husband, bedridden for over a decade following a brain stroke, was present in the house at the time of the attack. Police arrested the suspect within six hours of the crime.

The victim, identified as Shobha, was the sole caregiver to her husband. The childless couple lived on Pete Beedi in Nelamangala. According to investigators, the accused, 36-year-old Shivakumar, entered the house around 4 p.m. on the pretext of asking for water after noticing the gold jewellery she was wearing.

Police said the accused attacked her with a knife and strangled her when she resisted, before escaping with the ornaments. Officers from Nelamangala Town Police registered a case immediately and began scanning CCTV footage from surrounding areas to trace his movements.

Town Police Inspector Bharat Gowda said the accused targeted the elderly woman after observing her jewellery and used the opportunity when the couple was alone. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed that mounting financial debts had driven him to plan the robbery, which turned fatal when the victim resisted.

The stolen jewellery has been recovered, police said, adding that the swift breakthrough was made possible through coordinated efforts, CCTV analysis and local intelligence. Further investigation is underway to determine if the accused was involved in similar offences.