Man hacks wife to death; walks into Police Station to surrender

Mysuru: In a gruesome incident that shocked Hebbal residents, a 64-year-old man brutally hacked his wife to death with a machete yesterday afternoon following a long-standing property dispute.

The accused, identified as Papanna, later walked into the Vijayanagar Police Station, confessed to the crime and surrendered.

The incident occurred around 3.15 pm at Mahadeshwaranagar in Hebbal, where Papanna lived with his wife Gayathri (54) and children.

Police said Papanna had hidden a machete under his pillow, waiting for an opportune moment to strike.

Papanna, a realtor, who once made his mark by purchasing sites, constructing houses and selling them to prospective buyers, had recently suffered heavy losses due to failed deals.

Saddled with mounting loans, he had been pressuring his wife Gayathri, to sign over property documents that stood in her name. However, she refused, with their sons and daughter also opposing it.

Papanna, who was reportedly desperate to sell the property to repay moneylenders, had frequent quarrels with his family over the matter.

Yesterday, after lunch, when the couple’s children were away from the house, the argument resurfaced. In a fit of rage, Papanna attacked Gayathri with a machete, striking multiple blows on her head, chest, back and stomach.

Though she cried out for help, neighbours who rushed to the spot found her lying in a pool of blood. She succumbed to her injuries on the spot.

Papanna immediately went to the Vijayanagar Police Station, where he narrated the incident to Inspector S.D. Suresh Kumar and his staff. A murder case was registered and Papanna was taken into custody. Gayathri’s body was shifted to Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI) for post-mortem.

City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) K.S. Sundar Raj and Vijayanagar Sub-Division ACP Raviprasad visited the crime scene and took stock of the situation. Fingerprint experts and a dog squad were pressed into service to collect scientific evidence. Police said Papanna will be produced before a Magistrate today.