In the middle of the Covid-19 curfew in Bengaluru, when fear and uncertainty ruled daily life, a small detail noticed at a hospital helped police uncover a brutal crime. What first appeared to be a case
of suicide during the second wave of the pandemic later turned out to be a carefully planned murder.
On April 17, 2021, Mahadevapura police received a call from a hospital about the death of a young woman. With many police staff falling ill at the time, resources were stretched thin. Still, Inspector H Hariyappa and Head Constable Shivanand K Poojari reached the hospital to verify the details.
There, they found Vinay Kumar, a 33-year-old electrical engineer, crying beside the body of his wife, Ashwini. Ignoring Covid distancing rules, Poojari stepped closer to console the grieving man. While doing so, his eyes caught a tattoo on Kumar’s hand. It read: “Roopa”.
Doubts Over Suicide
Kumar told police that he and Ashwini had married in 2018 and were living peacefully. He claimed that Ashwini was depressed due to infertility issues and had taken her own life. He said neighbours rushed her to hospital after hearing his screams in the morning.
However, matters took a turn when Ashwini’s family arrived. They alleged Kumar was having an affair with another woman. Soon after, doctors examining the body said the death did not appear to be suicide and suggested strangulation.
Hariyappa said Kumar was taken into custody as he was the only eyewitness. “Generally, in these kinds of cases, the husband is also one of the suspects, and we took him into custody. It did not take too long for us to make him confess to the murder, but without any eyewitnesses, we needed to corroborate evidence,” he said.
Husband’s Confession
During questioning, Kumar admitted to killing his wife. “On April 16, 2021, Kimar bought a bottle of Tuborg beer for Rs 145 and a strip of Disulfiram 250 mg, a drug given to treat alcohol addiction, for Rs 32. He mixed it with the beer, assuming she would die if she took it… By 5.50 am, Vinay woke and saw that his wife was still breathing. He then took out a dupatta and strangulated her.”
“Around 7 am, he called Ashwini’s parents and stated that she was unconscious and took her to Lakshmi hospital, claiming that she had ended her life. Later, his entire plot got exposed,” Hariyappa said.
Affair That Led To Murder
Police later found that Kumar had met Roopa, a bank employee, while applying for a loan. Their friendship turned into a relationship. Kumar proposed marriage, but Roopa refused unless he divorced Ashwini. When Roopa contacted Ashwini and learned the truth, Kumar decided to kill his wife, police said.
The tattoo bearing Roopa’s name became a key clue. “I saw the tattoo ‘Roopa’ on his hand… but when he told me it was his girlfriend’s name, it stuck in my mind,” Poojari recalled.
Evidence And Conviction
With no eyewitnesses, police relied on circumstantial and medical evidence, digital payments, CCTV footage, and witness statements. The court accepted the prosecution’s case.
On December 17, 2025, a city sessions court sentenced Kumar to life imprisonment. Reflecting on the case, Hariyappa said, “I am happy that Ashwini’s family got justice.”
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