Bengaluru teen hacked to death with machete over property dispute; uncle held

The accused, Mohan, allegedly forged signatures and sold his family's ancestral land to a real estate developer without the knowledge of his sister and nephews. (Image generated using AI)

A 15-year-old Class 10 student was allegedly hacked to death with a machete by his paternal uncle over a suspected property dispute at Aivarakandapura, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, on Tuesday. The accused was arrested after he walked into a police station and allegedly confessed to the crime.

The victim, Krishna, a student of Aivarakandapura Government School, was allegedly attacked when he was alone at home and was found lying in a pool of blood, according to the complaint filed by his relative, Channarayappa, 65.

According to the complaint, Krishna and his elder brother Yashwanth were the sons of Muniraju alias Murali and Sharmila. While Sharmila had left the family around 14 years ago, Muniraju died around 12 years ago.

Muniraju’s brother, Mohan, was arrested after he walked into the Vishwanathapura police station in Bengaluru Rural district on Tuesday morning and allegedly confessed to murdering Krishna. “At present, a property dispute is suspected to be the motive behind the offence,” Nagesh D L, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-West), said.

A dispute over 1 acre of ancestral land

The complaint alleges that the family owned around one acre of ancestral land near Kundana in Devanahalli taluk. Mohan allegedly forged signatures and sold the land to a real estate developer without the knowledge of his sister, Pushpa, and his nephews. Pushpa subsequently lodged a complaint with Vishwanathapura police in Bengaluru Rural district over the alleged forgery.

After the developer learnt about the alleged irregularities, the money due to Pushpa and Muniraju’s sons was reportedly transferred to their respective bank accounts. Mohan was allegedly unhappy with the development and frequently quarrelled with Yashwanth and Krishna, the complaint stated.

On Monday night, Mohan allegedly visited his nephews’ house around 10 pm. Hours later, he confessed to killing Krishna.

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Murder case registered

The police coordinated with the Soladevanahalli police, under whose jurisdiction the house falls. Channarayappa, who accompanied the police to the house around 9.30 am, found Krishna dead inside a room, with injuries to his head. Yashwanth was not at home.

The Soladevanahalli police registered a murder case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The police are investigating the case to establish the circumstances and motive behind the murder and whether anyone else was involved.