Rajajinagar murders: Police recover two more bodies from Tamil Nadu; look for four

Indushekhar, the prime accused in the Rajajinagar murders case. | Photo credit: File photo

Bengaluru police investigating the chilling Rajajinagar murders on Saturday (7 November) recovered two more bodies, believed to be those of Sunita and Roopavathi, from near the Yercaud forest area in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district, senior officers confirmed to The Hindu.

Sunita (40) was the wife of the main accused Indushekhar (52), while Roopavathi (65) was his mother-in-law. However, their identities have not yet been officially established as the bodies were found in a decomposed state. The two are the first victims in the alleged killing spree.

On Friday (November 6), Bengaluru police arrested Indushekhar, who allegedly killed his wife and six members of her family, including a seven-year-old boy, and disposed of the bodies over 18 days. An 11-year-old boy, a relative of the accused, was rescued. Only the seven-year-old’s body was found on Friday.

According to sources, Sunita was murdered on October 16 and Roopavathi the following day. However, it is not yet clear whether he disposed of the bodies on the same day, as the charges allege, or dumped them separately. “Though he has given statements and those are being treated as leads, we need corroborating evidence. Hence, back-dating is going on to gather details,” said a senior officer.

So far, the police have secured three bodies, and search operations are underway for the remaining bodies. The entire operation could take another two to three days as the bodies were disposed of in multiple locations.

New head of investigation

Due to the complexity of the case, B. Nemagoud, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North, was appointed as the Investigating Officer. Six police teams were also formed to investigate various aspects of the case, while Joint Commissioner of Police (West), C. Vamsi Krishna, supervised the investigation.

According to the officer, teams have been deployed to conduct search operations in Chamundi Hills and Shiradi Ghat as part of the next phase of investigation.

“We have picked up clues from his statements and started search operations, but having him physically present is important because even with him it is difficult to mark the exact locations. Besides, he may have disposed of the bodies deep in forest areas, among thick bushes,” he said.

The officer stressed that recovering the bodies as soon as possible was the top priority, as further decomposition could limit the details that could be ascertained through autopsies. Due to the importance of the accused’s physical presence during search operations, the police secured 12 days of his detention.

Questions remain

Several links in the case have yet to be identified. One of the major questions facing the investigators is the logistics and method used to bring down the bodies from the second floor of a building near busy Bhashyam Circle in Rajajinagar.

The defendant claimed that he had moved the bodies at night. However, the staircase, which appears to be less than two feet wide, has raised suspicion. Carrying the bodies down with one hand would be a herculean task. It is strongly suspected that he may have lowered the bodies to the ground using ropes, possibly with the help of his seventeen-year-old daughter, who is also accused in the case.

Meanwhile, other teams have been sent to investigate various other angles, including tracking the movement of the accused between October 16 and November 2.

Published – 07 Nov 2026 21:31 IST