Bengaluru man purchases sickle, beheads wife over suspected marital affair; rides to police station with severed head

Bengaluru: In a chilling act of violence on the outskirts of Bengaluru, a 26-year-old man allegedly beheaded his wife over suspicions of her having an extra marital affair. After beheading his wife, the man took the severed head on his scooter and rode to the police station to confess to his crime.

The brutal incident took place late Friday night in Heelalige village near Chandapura, Anekal taluk. The accused, identified as Shankar, was arrested shortly after he surrendered, police confirmed on Saturday.

Act was planned

Preliminary investigation revealed that Shankar already had plans to kill his wife and that's a reason why he purchased a sickle from a shop near his home.

"A case of murder has been registered, and the accused is in custody. Further investigation is underway," the officer told news wire PTI.

What went wrong between the husband and wife?

Shankar and his wife, Manasa, had been married for over five years and have a four-year-old daughter. Both were employed with private companies—Shankar worked in Bengaluru's Koramangala, while Manasa was based in Bommasandra, reported PTI.

Efforts to reconcile spirals into tragedy

Tensions had been simmering between the couple for some time. Shankar reportedly suspected Manasa of having an extra-marital affair. A recent confrontation had led her to leave their home and stay with her mother.

On Friday evening around 8 pm, Manasa returned home in an attempt to reconcile, reportedly citing the well-being of their daughter. She also denied Shankar’s allegations of infidelity, a senior police officer said.

However, what began as an effort to reconcile, spiraled into a fatal altercation. Shankar allegedly grabbed a sickle and beheaded his wife during the argument. He left her body inside the house and drove to the police station carrying the severed head.

Bengaluru suitcase murder

This is not the first time that such gruesome murders have been reported in Bengaluru.

In April 2025, a similar case came to the light where Rakesh Khedekar, a senior project coordinator at a private firm, killed his wife, Gouri Sambrekar, 32 in their home at Doddakammanahalli, near Hulimavu, and stuffed her body into a suitcase.

Similar to how Shankar confessed to the crime, Rakesh Khedekar, too admitted to have committed the gruesome act, and during interroagtion, told he had been disturbed by his wife always insulting his parents and younger sister.

(with inputs from PTI)