Bengaluru: What initially appeared to be a tragic suicide near Kanva Dam turned out to be a well-orchestrated murder, thanks to the keen observation and persistence of local police. The death of 45-year-old Lokesh Kumar, a former gram panchayat president and chicken shop owner, was staged to look like a self-inflicted end — but a missing bottle cap and a lone slipper unraveled the cover-up.
On June 23, Lokesh’s body was found near his parked car with a poison bottle beside him and his wife, Chandrakala, wailing inconsolably. Police were about to file the case as a suicide when Inspector BK Prakash and Sub-Inspector Sahana Patil noticed critical inconsistencies — Where was the cap of the poison bottle? And why was Lokesh wearing only one slipper?
These seemingly minor details raised red flags. DySP KC Giri questioned the plausibility of a man poisoning himself so neatly yet losing a slipper in the process.
Soon after, family members alleged that Chandrakala was involved in an extramarital affair, and that Lokesh had recently uncovered it. This led investigators to Yogesh, an employee at Bengaluru’s General Post Office, whose call records and location data placed him near the scene on the night of the death.
Post-Mortem Revelations
An autopsy report from Channapatna Government Hospital revealed high poison concentration in Lokesh’s chest, not just the stomach — suggesting possible forced ingestion. A second postmortem at a private hospital confirmed this suspicion.
The Chilling Reconstruction
Investigations uncovered that on June 23, Chandrakala allegedly tipped off Yogesh after Lokesh left his shop. Yogesh, along with three accomplices in a black car, rear-ended Lokesh’s vehicle near the dam. When he stepped out, they attacked and forced him into the car, where poison was forcibly poured down his throat. His body was later dumped near the car to simulate suicide. But they left behind damning clues — a missing bottle cap and one of Lokesh’s slippers.
Arrests and Confession
Following the confession of Chandrakala and Yogesh, four others — Shantaraju, C Anand (alias Surya), G Shiva (alias Shivalinga), and R Chandan Kumar — were also arrested.
Police Superintendent Srinivas Gowda praised the team’s diligence, stating, “What exposed the crime was attention to detail and refusal to accept the obvious.”
