Bangaore: Retired Professor, Wife and Son Found Murdered
The Hindu
BANGALORE, Feb 17: A 65-year-old retired professor of Indian Institute of Science, his 60-year-old wife and 30-year-old son, who was suffering from Down’s syndrome, were found murdered in their house off the busy R.T. Nagar 80-Foot Road on Monday. The professor was smothered by a cloth while his wife and son were garrotted.
The incident comes in the wake of the double murder of A.S.N. Rangan (79), retired Deputy Accountant General, and his wife Vasanta, at their Jayanagar residence on January 10. Ten days after that, the nearby Tilaknagar reported a triple murder: that of Sathyabama (84), her daughter Vijayalakshmi (55) and daughter-in-law Jayashree (45).
In the latest instance, the victims were P.L. Sachdev, an authority in mathematics, his wife Rita and their mentally challenged son Munna. Their adopted son Anurag (22) was not at home when the killings occurred.
On Saturday, Prof. Sachdev, Ms. Rita Sachdev and Mr. Munna went out for a party hosted by their relative Amit, who had come from Goa. “His neighbours saw him last near the house on Sunday afternoon,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) M.R. Pujar.
House locked
Amit, who was to leave for Goa on Monday morning, tried to call Prof. Sachdev on his mobile phone on Sunday evening. When there was no response, he drove to the house along with another relative Rajesh Tiwari, who stays in Bangalore. “They found the house locked from outside. They then came to the police station and informed us,” Mr. Pujar said.
When the police broke open the door, they found the bodies of Ms. Sachdev and Mr. Munna in two different rooms. “We found the body of the professor under the cot in a third room; it was covered with suitcases,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Syed Ulfath Hussain.
Police on lookout
The police are yet to understand the motive behind the murder. “We are questioning Mr. Anurag, a PUC dropout, who was not at home on Sunday. He did not go to Mr. Amit’s party either,” Mr. Pujar said.
Anurag is said to be a drug addict and had reportedly attended several sessions on de-addiction. One such session was conducted by Mr. Pujar himself. On Monday, Anurag was found in an inebriated state.
The police are on the lookout for two women, both domestic helps, who have not come for work since Sunday. “We are questioning Prof. Sachdev’s colleagues, friends and neighbours,” Mr. Pujar added.
Highly regarded
Prof. Sachdev had one of the longest associations with IISc., having joined the premier institute as a student. He was a member of several science academies and highly regarded in his field.
The murder has left his colleagues and students in IISc. shell shocked. Prof. Sachdev, who specialised in partial differential equations, was involved in various research activities after his retirement in 1997. “He was a genial person and a good mathematician. I have been seeing him since my days as a student. Apart from doing his doctorate at IISc., he has been a guide for many students, including me,” said IISc. Professor A.K. Nandakumar.
Shocking news
The Sachdevs were residing in R.T. Nagar for the last 10 years. The murders have shocked the residents and those working in the offices nearby.
“I have been living in this area for the past two decades. It’s really shocking to hear about the murders in this busy area. Senior citizens are being selectively targeted,” said S. Shanta, who lives about 100 metres from Prof. Sachdev’s house. “I have seen the elderly couple taking care of their older son,” she added.
Another neighbour, who works in a super-speciality hospital, said: “He was rarely seen outside the house. I have occasionally seen him drive his Maruti car.”