An elderly man and his teenage granddaughter were murdered in their home in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka on Sunday, police officials in the district said.
Dakshina Kannada police arrested Karim Khan (29) in connection with the murders on Tuesday evening. Preliminary investigations revealed that Karim committed the murders due to a fear of getting caught while burgling an elderly couple's house in Kuriya village of Puttur taluk in the district. The incident took place around 11 am on Sunday.
However, investigating officials told TNM the incident came to light only on Tuesday morning and the victims were identified as Sheikh Koggu Saheb (70), and his granddaughter Shamiya Banu (16). The man’s wife Khatijaabi (65) was also grievously injured in the same crime.
Senior police officials said that she was in a state of shock when police officials arrived at her home and insisted that everything was fine even though she was injured and was staying in the house with the dead bodies for more almost two days. She is being treated at a private hospital.
House of the elderly couple in Kuriya, Dakshina Kannada
“It was only when the elder son visited the house, he realised that the front door was locked but as he spoke to his mother, he could understand that she was too shocked and disillusioned. She kept on insisting that her granddaughter and her husband were not killed, she did not even realise that she herself was injured. We are suspecting she spent at least one day with the dead bodies,” Dakshina Kannada SP Laxmi Prasad said.
He added that Karim walked away with 30 g of jewellery and Rs 6,000 in cash after committing the murders. A case was registered in Puttur Rural Police Station and investigations by beat police official Bheem Shen led the police to Karim Khan, a resident of Kuriya.
Due to fear of getting caught in the act of burgling the house and due to differences with Sheikh Koggu Saheb over financial matters in the past, police said Karim attacked the family members residing in the house with a knife from the kitchen. He was arrested on Tuesday evening in connection with the incident.