Man attacks wife with machete, acid suspect in Bengal’s JP Nagar

Madhumita is in a critical condition and undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit. | Photo credit: Getty Images

A 26-year-old woman was allegedly attacked with a machete and her husband threw a suspected acid substance on her near a private clinic in south Bengaluru’s JP Nagar on Thursday.

The incident took place around 9:15 am when the victim, Madhumita, came out of the clinic where she was working to have breakfast. The accused, identified as Venkatesan, allegedly attacked her with a machete and then poured a liquid believed to be acid on her before she tried to flee.

The attack, which took place near the clinic’s basement car park, was caught on mobile phones by onlookers.

Even as passers-by tried to catch him, Venkatesan ran away for some distance before being intercepted and detained by a Bengaluru traffic police sub-inspector. He was later handed over to the JP Nagar police.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Venkatesan, a native of Tamil Nadu, had married Madhumita, who hails from West Bengal, about three years ago in Madurai. However, after marital disagreements, the couple has been living separately for the past year. While Venkatesan, who was working in Bengaluru, had recently moved to Tamil Nadu after taking up a new job, Madhumita continued to work in a private clinic and lived in paying guest accommodation in south Bengaluru.

According to the police, Venkatesan arrived in the city on his motorcycle on Wednesday evening and waited for Madhumita near the clinic before assaulting her on Thursday morning. Madhumita is in a critical condition and undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

A senior police officer said preliminary investigations revealed that the liquid poured on Madhumita had acidic properties. However, Scene of Crime officers took samples and sent them to the Forensic Science Laboratory to determine if it was industrial acid or floor cleaner. Based on the report, the police will trace its source, the officer said.

Police suspect that the attack stemmed from a marital dispute, but have yet to ascertain the exact motive. The JP Nagar police registered an FIR under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and started an investigation.

Published – 17 Sep 2026 18:41 IST