Karnataka: Man, Upset Over Desertion By Wife, Kills Daughter And Two In-Laws Before Shooting Himself

Photo Credit: IANS

A school van driver, who was frustrated because his wife deserted him, killed three people, including his daughter, and then ended his own life in Magalur village of Karnataka's Chikkamagaluru district on Tuesday night. 

The school van driver has been identified as Rathnakar. After shooting the three victims, the accused went to an isolated place and shot himself too. 

The victims are Rathnakar's seven-year-old daughter Moulya; his 50-year-old mother-in-law, Jyothi; and his 26-year-old sister-in-law, Sindhu. 

Sindhu's husband was also injured in the attack as he sustained a gunshot wound on his leg, and he has been admitted to a hospital in Balehonnur town.

IANS reported that as per the police, Rathnakar was deeply disturbed by his wife's desertion. On the day of the incident, he was enraged by the same and barged into his in-laws' house during the 'Hosa Toduku' festival celebration and shot dead three people, including his daughter. 

Rathnakar's Recorded Video 

The police have recovered a video that Rathnakar recorded ahead of committing the crime. As per IANS, in the video said that he could not bear the pain of his wife leaving him and claimed that his daughter's happiness and joy meant to him. 

The accused in the video stated, "In school, my daughter's friends ask her about her mother's whereabouts. She comes home and asks me, 'Where is my mother?' Without my knowledge, she took a photo from our album and showed it at school."

He further said that he had informed his family of his decision. 

"It has been two years since my wife betrayed and deserted me," he claimed.

Police Investigations' Revelations 

In the preliminary investigations, police found that the accused's wife had left him and their daughter and moved to Bengaluru. Their daughter was enrolled in the same school where Rathnakar worked as a school van driver.

Rathnakar's mother-in-law took Moulya from school to her house to celebrate the festival. It is suspected that the accused had assumed that his wife had returned from Bengaluru and planned to kill her. However, in a fit of rage, he ended up killing his daughter, in-laws, and himself, the police said. The Balehonnur police are investigating the case.

(with IANS inputs)

(Discussions on suicides can be triggering for some. But suicides are preventable. If you are looking for help, some suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-40769002 from Sanjivini (Delhi-based, 10 am - 5.30 pm) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based, 8 am - 10 pm), ‪‪+91 9999666555‬‬ from Vandrevala Foundation (Mumbai-based, 24x7).