Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 14: A woman hired contract killers to eliminate her husband, because of her desire to marry her schoolmate. Now, the wife and contract killers have been arrested by the police.

Varadaraju (36), a photographer by profession, who also had an agency for Herbal Life products, was killed on January 9 at his residence in Bagalagunte MEI Layout here by slitting his throat. He had married Vinuta from Mysuru five years back, and had a female child.

Vinuta and Shashikumar had studied together at Bhyraveshwara School in Mahadeshwaranagara in Mysuru and were in love with each other. Even after they entered college, their love life continued and both had decided to marry each other. But Vinuta's parents disapproved this alliance, and married Vinuta with a distant relative, Varadaraju. It is said that Shashikumar had told Varadaraju about his love before his marriage, but Varadaraju overlooked him and married Vinuta. After the marriage, the couple often fought over the issue of Vinuta's love life, it is gathered.

Frustrated by this issue, Vinuta had planned to murder her husband and marry Shashikumar. Shashikumar in the meanwhile, came across K Raghu from Pandavapura, who had the experience of participating in robbery. He was hired to kill Varadaraju for Rs 1.5 lac. Raghu had drawn help from his friend, Vikas, and a minor to murder Varadaraju.

The entire sequence of events right from the entry of murders, killing of Varadaraju and their return, were recorded on CCTV camera. All the three murderers had arrived at the venue on a single motor bike at around 7.30 pm. Vinuta introduced them to her husband as people interested in getting herbal agency. Once she went out of the house on some pretext, the visitors slit the throat of Varadaraju and fled. Varadaraju's younger brother, Lokesh, who accidentally came there at around 8 pm, found his brother lying in a pool of blood.

Vinuta, Shashikumar (25) from Kumbarakoppalu in Mysuru, Vikas (22) from Pandavapura in Mandya district, K Raghu (21) also from Pandavapura, and a 17-year-old boy have been arrested by the police. A motor bike and weapons used by them have been confiscated. CCTV footage had helped the police to get the bike registration number on the basis of which the killers were held.