Karnataka Horror: School Van Driver Kills, 7-Year-Old Daughter, In-Laws, Then Commits Suicide

Chikkamagaluru: A 40-year-old school van driver allegedly murdered his 7-year-old daughter along with three others before killing himself in Balehonnur, Chikkamagaluru, late Tuesday night.

The accused, identified as Rathnakar Gowda, was a resident of Kithlikonda village in Khandya hobli. According to reports, he was deeply upset over his wife’s separation, which allegedly drove him to commit the crime.

Rathnakar shot and killed his 7-year-old daughter, Moulya, his 50-year-old mother-in-law, Jyothi, and his 26-year-old sister-in-law, Sindhu at their home. His 38-year-old brother-in-law, Avinash, sustained injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Balehonnur town.

After committing the triple murder, Rathnakar went to an isolated location and shot himself with the same firearm on Tuesday night.

Police revealed that Rathnakar had been separated from his wife for two years. Frustrated over this, he allegedly barged into his in-laws’ home during the Hosa Toduku festival and opened fire, killing his daughter and her relatives.

Authorities recovered a video recorded by Rathnakar before the crime, in which he expressed his emotional distress over his wife leaving him.

“In school, my daughter’s friends ask her about her mother’s whereabouts. She comes home and asks me, ‘Where is my mother?’ Without my knowledge, she took a photo from our album and showed it at school,” Rathnakar said in the video.

He further claimed that his family was aware of his intentions.

“It has been two years since my wife betrayed and deserted me,” he added.

Investigations revealed that Rathnakar’s wife had left him and their daughter two years ago and moved to Bengaluru.

Moulya, his daughter, was enrolled in the same school where he worked as a van driver.

On the day of the incident, his mother-in-law, Jyothi, had taken Moulya home from school to celebrate the festival. Rathnakar allegedly suspected that his wife had returned and was plotting to harm him, leading him to carry out the murders.

The Balehonnur police are currently investigating the case for further details.