A tragic murder-suicide took place in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, where a man allegedly killed his mother-in-law, daughter, and sister-in-law, injured his co-brother, and then took his own life.

The incident took place on Tuesday night in Balehonnur. A 40-year-old man named Ratnakar Gowda went to his mother-in-law’s house and started arguing about problems related to his wife, who had been living separately. In anger, he allegedly shot three people, injured another, and then took his own life.

The victims include his mother-in-law, Jyothi (50), his sister-in-law, Sindhu (24), and his six-year-old daughter, Moulya. His co-brother, Avinash (38), was injured and is currently being treated at a hospital. Doctors say he is out of danger.

Police reports suggest that Ratnakar and his wife, Swathi, had been married for eight years but had separated two years ago due to personal differences. Swathi had moved to Mangaluru for work, leaving their daughter with Ratnakar, who worked as a school bus driver.

Swathi was not present when the murders took place, as she had not yet arrived from Mangaluru for the post-Ugadi celebrations. The killings reportedly happened after Ratnakar had an argument with his mother-in-law.

Shocking video message

Before committing the crime, Ratnakar posted a video on WhatsApp, explaining his actions. In the video, he said:

"My dear friends, family members, my sister, and brother-in-law, I want to say that I have made my decision. My wife cheated on me and left me two years ago. She even abandoned her daughter, whom I have been taking care of. My life, my happiness, her love — everything is gone. My daughter’s classmates keep asking her where her mother is. She once took a photo from an album without my knowledge and showed her mother’s photo to her classmates. She feels very bad when asked repeatedly about her mother’s whereabouts."

The Balehonnur police have registered one case of murder and another under the Firearms Act. Investigations are ongoing to understand the full details of this heartbreaking case.

 

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