The Third District and Sessions Court on Friday convicted a 37-year-old labourer and sentenced her to a life term, while also imposing a fine of ₹25,000 for killing her six year-old nephew and burying the body at a mango grove in December 2023, over a grudge against her elder sister, who was also the victim’s mother, in Muttakadahalli village under Gudibande Police Station limits.
The woman, identified as Ambika, kidnapped her eight-year-old niece and brought her to Bengaluru to drop her in an orphanage. However, the driver of the autorickshaw they had boarded, overheard Ambika’s conversation and took her to the Cubbon Park Police Station before handing her over to the police, which led to the revelation of the murder.
Ambika was deserted by her husband a few months after their marriage following which she came to her elder sister Anitha’s house seeking shelter. Anitha, 42, lived with her husband Vishwanath, along with their two children — Manushri, 8, and Madhu, 6. Both Anitha and Vishwanath worked as daily-wage labourers
Agitated with Ambika’s behavior, Anitha expressed her displeasure to her sister, and even warned of ousting her from the house.
On November 30, 2023, Anitha’s children had gone to school to participate in a Kanaka Jayanti programme and returned home early while their parents were still out for work. Ambika, on the pretext of buying them snacks, took them to a nearby mango grove near Hirenagawali cross, and bludgeoned Madhu to death. She later dug a pit and buried the dead body, before coming to Bengaluru with Manushri with the plan of dropping her at an orphanage.
The Cubbon Park Police, after receiving the initial details of the case, alerted the Gudibande Police. By then, Anitha had reported her children missing. Following this, Gudibande Police Inspector Nayaz Baig rushed to Cubbon Park Police Station, detained Ambika and rescued Manushri.
The police questioned Ambika in detail about Madhu. Initially, she feigned ignorance stating that Madhu had returned home from a shop after getting chocolates, but later confessed to the crime after the police confronted her with the information provided by Manushri. Based on the information, the police reached the secene of crime, exhumed the body, and sent it for the post-mortem. The police also recorded the statement of Manushri and submitted a detailed chargesheet before the court. Manushri also deposed before the court, which turned out to be a crucial evidence for the conviction.
