In a shocking case from Uttarahalli, South Bengaluru, a 17-year-old girl and her four friends allegedly murdered her 34-year-old mother, Netravathi, and staged the crime as a suicide by hanging her from a ceiling fan.
The incident came to light after the teenager, who had fled the scene, returned to her grandmother’s house and was confronted by relatives. Her aunt, Anitha, grew suspicious of her inconsistent statements and alerted the police. During questioning, the girl confessed to the crime, police said.
The murder plot
According to investigators, Netravathi, a telecaller working with a loan recovery firm, lived with her daughter after separating from her husband. The girl, a 10th-standard dropout, was in a relationship with a 17-year-old boy who had also dropped out of school.
Netravathi reportedly disapproved of the relationship and had scolded and warned the boy to stay away. On October 25, the girl invited her boyfriend and three other friends — including a 13-year-old schoolboy — to her home, saying her mother would be asleep after drinking.
When Netravathi woke up and found them inside, she reprimanded the boy, seized his phone, and threatened to call the police. The group then allegedly held her down and strangled her with a towel. To cover up the murder, they hanged her body from a ceiling fan using a saree to make it look like suicide, police said.
Discovery and confession
The house remained locked until Netravathi’s partner returned from a trip and found her unresponsive. Initially, the family believed she had died by suicide. A kidnapping case was registered after the daughter went missing.
However, when the girl turned up at her grandmother’s house on October 30, her behaviour aroused suspicion. Upon questioning, she broke down and admitted that her friends had killed her mother and forced her to stay silent.
Police have detained four juveniles aged 16–17 and are interrogating them. The 13-year-old boy is also being questioned but handled under juvenile protection guidelines.
A case under Section 103 (punishment for murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered based on a complaint by Netravathi’s sister.