BENGALURU: A day after Karnataka’s former DGP Om Prakash was found brutally murdered at his residence, his wife, who is reportedly suffering from a mental disorder, was arrested on Monday on charges of involvement in the shocking crime, police said. “The investigating officer has arrested 64-year-old Mrs Pallavi Om Prakash. She will be produced before the magistrate,” DCP, South East, Sarah Fathima said.
In another major development, the case has been transferred to the Central Crime Branch (CCB), the DCP said. “The case has been transferred to the CCB from the HSR Layout police station,” she said. The DCP further said that the former DGP’s daughter, Kiti, named as the second suspect in the FIR, has not yet been arrested. Asked whether she is currently in police custody, DCP Fathima clarified that she was not. However, when asked if Kriti had been released, she did not respond.
Police had registered an FIR against the wife and daughter of the former state DGP, who was found brutally murdered at his residence in HSR Layout, Bengaluru on last Sunday. The FIR was filed based on a complaint lodged by his son, Karthikesh Om Prakash, police sources said on Monday. In his complaint, Karthikesh stated that his father had been receiving life threats from his mother for the past week. He also alleged that his sister forcibly brought their father back home.
Om Prakash’s wife Pallavi was named the first suspect, and his daughter, the second suspect in the FIR. Karthikesh alleged that due to threats from his mother, Om Prakash had gone to stay at his sister Sarita Kumari’s residence. “However, two days ago, my sister Kriti went there, harassed my father, and brought him back home,” he added.
“I suspect that my father, former DGP Om Prakash, was killed by my mother, Pallavi, and sister Kriti. They are both suffering from depression and would quarrel with my father every day,” he said in the complaint. “On April 20, around 5 p.m., while I was at the Karnataka Golf Association in the Domlur area, my neighbour Sridharan called and informed me that my father’s body was lying on the floor. I rushed home and arrived by 5.45 p.m. By then, the police and members of the public had gathered. My father was lying in a pool of blood with head injuries. I saw knives and a bottle beside the body,” Karthikesh stated. The body was later shifted to St. John’s Hospital.
The HSR Layout police have booked Pallavi and Kriti under sections 103 (1) and 3 (5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police were questioning the duo, who were detained and brought to the police station from the Observation Centre in a patrol vehicle. Police sources said that the deceased officer’s wife had sent a message to the wife of another IPS officer, stating that she had “finished off a monster”. The police have also gathered information that Pallavi made a video call after allegedly committing the crime.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Om Prakash was killed by his wife, Pallavi. However, police suspect that it may not have been possible for one person to commit such a brutal crime alone, and are therefore questioning the daughter as well. According to police sources, the accused first threw chilli powder on Om Prakash and poured oil on him. He was then stabbed more than 12 times in the neck, abdomen, chest, and head. Evidence suggests that he struggled for nearly 10 minutes before succumbing to his injuries.
Police also stated that Pallavi had confessed to the crime during initial questioning, claiming that she committed the act to save her own life. However, an official statement is still awaited. “Pallavi watched Om Prakash die and made phone calls after his death,” a source said. She claimed that her daughter had been locked in one of the rooms during the incident, but police are verifying the accuracy of this statement.
Investigations have revealed that Pallavi suffered from a mental condition similar to schizophrenia and was undergoing treatment. Police found that she had frequently visited mental health centres and hospitals. Om Prakash had reportedly confided in close circles that he wished to live separately after their daughter’s marriage, sources stated.
Police have also obtained a message from the wife’s phone, alleging that her husband had links with terrorists and, through one of them, was trying to eliminate her. She further alleged that Om Prakash was administering slow poison to both her and their daughter. She had urged the members of the WhatsApp group to lodge a complaint against him and claimed that he should be investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). After posting this message, she exited the group, sources said.
