A former Indian Army soldier killed his wife by hitting her with a Buddha statue at their house in Bengaluru on March 14. The 59-year-old had served in the Indian Army for 20 years and was presently working as a conductor with Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation.
Javare Gowda's younger son Chandan has lodged a complaint with the police. Chandan repeatedly called his mother Manjula on March 14 and when she didn't respond, he lodged a complaint with the police. He told the police that his parents fight because of his father's drinking problem, which may have led to the murder.
Chandan said that his father developed alcohol addiction after retirement. Gowda would often ask his wife for money to buy alcohol.
"On March 14, Manjula refused to pay him money for buying alcohol. In a fit of rage, Gowda took an iron Buddha statue and hit Manjula on her head. She died at the hospital," the police said.
Gowda had earlier taken a leave from BMTC and was staying at home since February. The police officials said that Manjula had spoken with her son on the day of the incident.
Their elder son Chetan, who is a software engineer, lives abroad. The police have arrested the ex-serviceman.
Crime rate in Bengaluru down?
As per official records with Bengaluru Police, there has been a considerable decline in criminal activities since 2016. Around 200 murder cases were reported in Bengaluru in 2018 as compared to 228 and 234 such cases in 2016 and 2017, respectively. In a majority of the cases, the police claimed to have detained the murderers.
Around 500 cases of cruelty by husband were registered by Bengaluru Police in 2016, which dropped down to 375 in 2018.
