Man who murdered wife arrested in Maha: Cops

A 36-year-old man, who allegedly murdered his wife and hid her body inside a suitcase in their Bengaluru apartment, was arrested on Friday in Maharashtra after a failed suicide attempt. The accused, identified as Rakesh Rajendra Khedekar, was found in a semi-conscious state near Shirwal in Satara district, where he had reportedly consumed poison.

Officials suspect he consumed pesticide. “However, due to the timely intervention of the police, he was admitted to the hospital, where his condition later stabilized,” Nalavade added. He was shifted to Sassoon General Hospital in Pune on Friday for further treatment.

Locals noticed Khedekar collapsing outside his car after feeling dizzy and alerted authorities, according to Shirwal police.

“During the investigation, the man identified himself as Rakesh Khedekar and admitted to having killed his wife in Bengaluru before heading toward Mumbai,” said Yashwant Nalavade, inspector at Shirwal police station.

The murder came to light on Thursday when the body of 32-year-old Gauri Khedekar was found stuffed inside a trolley suitcase in the bathroom of the couple’s third-floor rented flat in Doddakammanahalli under Hulimavu police station limits. The couple had moved into the flat in February.

A senior police officer said, “Rakesh had come to Bengaluru from Maharashtra just a month ago to live in Amuda Apartment in Doddakammanahalli. He was working as a senior project coordinator at Hitachi Systems India. He had a work-from-home arrangement. Gauri had quit her job in Maharashtra before coming to Bengaluru. After coming to Bengaluru, she applied for a job. But she did not get a suitable job. Fed up with this, Gauri was blaming her husband. She was shouting that she should go back to Maharashtra, Rakesh told the police.”

A Bengaluru police team has reached Pune to take custody of the accused. “The police have registered the case and it has been confirmed that only the husband is the prime accused,” said City Police Commissioner B Dayananda.

“The husband Rakesh has been admitted to a hospital in Pune, and it is reported that he attempted suicide by consuming poison. He is currently at the hospital, and our team has already reached and guarding [the] accused,” he said.

“The accused will be brought back here for questioning once he is discharged from the hospital,” Dayanand added. He said marital discord was suspected to be the motive behind the killing and that the victim’s relatives had arrived in the city for further inquiry.

According to investigators, a heated argument on the night of March 26 turned violent. “Rakesh got angry and slapped her on the cheek. Angry at this, Gauri brought a knife from the kitchen and threw it at Rakesh. Rakesh suffered minor injuries. Rakesh, further enraged by this, stabbed her in the neck several times with a knife,” the officer added.

Police said that after the killing, he reportedly sat next to the body questioning their fight and her anger. The next day, he stuffed her body in a suitcase and left it in the bathroom before locking the apartment and driving towards Pune.

Before leaving, Rakesh called the tenant living in the flat below and said, “My wife has committed suicide, please go and see.” He later admitted to the tenant that he had killed her, and also informed the house owner. They immediately contacted the police.

Based on his movements, Bengaluru police sought assistance from Maharashtra authorities and tracked him down. He had reportedly purchased phenyl and consumed it in an attempt to take his life.