Bengaluru: An 11-year-old boy was rescued by Bengaluru police after spending nearly five days with his uncle, who is accused of murdering seven members of his own family, including the child’s parents. The boy was allegedly misled into believing that they were travelling on an “All-India Tour” while the accused moved around with the bodies of victims in his car.

The child’s account has emerged as a crucial lead in the investigation into the alleged killings. Police suspect that the boy could also have been targeted, but officers intercepted the accused before he could allegedly harm him.

Boy allegedly travelled with bodies in car

According to the boy’s account, his family had visited his uncle, Indushekar, at his residence in Bengaluru on October 30 for dinner. The child reportedly slept beside his mother that night.

When he woke up the following morning, his father was missing. When he attempted to leave with his mother, he was allegedly stopped by his uncle’s daughter. The boy later heard his mother screaming.

He said his uncle subsequently took him on a trip, telling him that they were travelling to different places. The destinations included Kukke Subrahmanya, Dharmasthala, Sringeri and Kempegowda International Airport.

During the journey, the boy reportedly noticed several gunny bags in the car’s boot and a foul smell. Whenever he tried to touch or check the bags, the accused and his daughter allegedly scolded him.

The child told investigators that he had seen four bags being dumped at different locations when there was little traffic or movement on the roads. Police suspect that the bags contained the bodies of some of the victims.

Family allegedly kept in touch through misleading messages

Investigators suspect that the accused used the boy to make relatives believe that the family was away on a tour. The child was allegedly made to send voice messages to family members, supporting the claim that they were travelling across India.

Police also suspect that the accused retained the mobile phones belonging to the deceased and used them to respond to calls and messages. This allegedly delayed relatives from realising that something had happened to the family.

The case came to light after a missing-person complaint was lodged on November 3. Investigators reportedly tracked the mobile phones of the missing family members and found that their locations repeatedly matched those of the accused.

When police intercepted the accused’s car in Bengaluru, they reportedly noticed a foul smell and found mobile phones belonging to the deceased inside the vehicle. The boy was also found in the car and was rescued.

Seven-year-old child’s body recovered near Nandi Hills

In a further development, police recovered the body of seven-year-old Puneeth near Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapur district. The accused allegedly led the police team to the location where the body had been disposed of.

According to police, the body had been packed in a gunny bag and thrown from the ninth curve near Rangappa Circle. Police teams from Rajajinagar and Chikkaballapur worked together to retrieve it.

Chikkaballapur Superintendent of Police Padmini Sahoo said officers had reached the area on Thursday evening but could not locate the body because of darkness. They returned with the accused on Friday morning and recovered it with the assistance of local residents.

Investigation into family murders continues

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said the accused had allegedly confessed to killing seven members of his wife’s family over a period of around 15 to 20 days. The victims included his wife, her mother, two brothers, their wives and a seven-year-old child.

Police are continuing efforts to locate the remaining bodies and verify the accused’s statements about the alleged crimes and disposal locations. Investigators are also examining the possible involvement of other family members.

The motive behind the killings has not yet been conclusively established. Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge has said that the investigation is ongoing and cautioned against drawing conclusions before all facts are verified.

The rescued boy’s account has provided investigators with important information about the movements of the accused and the possible locations where victims were disposed of. Police are continuing their investigation into one of Bengaluru’s most disturbing alleged family murder cases.