Bengaluru, Sep 17 (IANS): A family dispute is suspected to have been the reason behind the deadly attack in Bengaluru on a 26-year-old nurse from West Bengal, allegedly by her estranged husband from Tamil Nadu, police said on Thursday.
The victim, Madhumita, is in critical condition following the attack near Narayana Hospital in J.P. Nagar Third Phase.
DCP South Dr. Vamshi Krishna, who visited the spot, said the accused, identified as Venkateshan, allegedly attacked Madhumita with a machete and a long knife after throwing a liquid suspected to be acid, on her.
The incident took place around 9.15 a.m. near Narayana Hospital, where Madhumita works as a nurse. According to the DCP, the accused wore a helmet during the assault and used two deadly weapons in the attack.
“The accused has used a liquid similar to acid and assaulted the woman with a machete and a long knife. The couple are husband and wife, and the incident is suspected to have taken place against the backdrop of a family dispute,” Dr. Vamshi Krishna said.
Madhumita and Venkateshan had married in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, in 2024. However, the couple had reportedly not been living together for around one-and-a-half years. Madhumita had been staying in a PG accommodation in Bengaluru, while Venkateshan had earlier worked in Bengaluru before moving to Chennai.
Police said Venkateshan had travelled from Madurai to Bengaluru on Wednesday night and allegedly arrived with the liquid and weapons before carrying out the attack. He was arrested and is being questioned by the police.
The Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) team has collected and is examining the liquid allegedly used in the attack to determine whether it was acid.
According to police sources, the couple had met through a dating application. Venkateshan allegedly suspected Madhumita and frequently fought with her over her social media posts and reels.
During questioning, Venkateshan allegedly told police that his wife was not listening to him and that he suspected she was with another man. He allegedly attacked her more than 10 times with the deadly weapons.
It can be recalled that Venkateshan allegedly chased Madhumita when she came out of the hospital. She ran towards the cellar parking area of the hospital, where the accused allegedly caught hold of her and threw the acid-like liquid on her. He then allegedly grabbed her by the hair and attacked her repeatedly with a machete and the knife.
The assault reportedly took place in full public view. Several people raised an alarm and attempted to intervene, but the accused allegedly waved the machete at those who tried to approach him. Some members of the public reportedly attempted to rescue Madhumita by pelting stones at the accused, but were unable to overpower him.
Police have obtained video recordings of the assault that were made by members of the public. The footage is expected to form part of the investigation into the incident.
The accused was eventually overpowered and taken into custody after a traffic police officer arrived at the spot.
Madhumita, who hails from Kolkata in West Bengal, sustained serious injuries in the attack and was shifted to a private hospital for treatment.
Further investigation is on.
