Man kills daughter, in-laws before ending his own life

Chikkamagaluru

A shocking crime took place in Magalur village, where a man, distraught over his wife leaving him, shot and killed his daughter and two in-laws before taking his own life.

The accused, Rathnakar, was a school van driver. On Tuesday night, he barged into his in-laws’ house during the Hosa Toduku festival and opened fire, killing his seven-year-old daughter Moulya, his 50-year-old mother-in-law Jyothi, and his 26-year-old sister-in-law Sindhu. Sindhu’s husband was also shot in the leg and is receiving treatment at a hospital in Balehonnur.

After the killings, Rathnakar went to an isolated spot and shot himself. Before doing so, he recorded a video, in which he spoke about his wife’s desertion and how he could not cope with his daughter’s pain.

"In school, my daughter’s friends ask about her mother. She comes home and asks me, ‘Where is my mother?’ Without my knowledge, she took a photo from our album and showed it at school,” Rathnakar said in the video. He claimed he had informed his family about his decision, adding, "It has been two years since my wife betrayed and deserted me."

Police suspect that Rathnakar assumed his wife had returned from Bengaluru and initially intended to kill her. However, in a fit of rage, he killed his daughter and in-laws instead. Balehonnur police have launched an investigation into the case.