Bengaluru, July 11 (IANS) “I don’t know why my son did this. He was fine and mentally stable,” said Chikkanna, the father of Prashant, the 34-year-old man accused of killing three family members before dying by suicide in Bengaluru’s Kottigepalya locality on Saturday morning.

Speaking to reporters, Chikkanna said there had been no quarrel in the family on Friday night and that he had left home early on Saturday morning to open his laundry shop.

“Prashant was fine. He used to work as a driver and had gone about his routine normally. There was no quarrel at home. I left for work in the morning and later received a call around 10 a.m. informing me about the incident. I do not know what exactly happened,” he said.

Chikkanna said Prashant was unmarried and lived with the family. “If there had been any quarrel during the night, I would not have left home and gone to open the shop,” he added.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), N. Yathish, said police received information between 8.30 a.m. and 9 a.m. about a case involving three murders and one suicide in the Kottigepalya area under Kamakshipalya Police Station limits.

“Police rushed to the spot and found that five persons were living in the house — the father, mother, grandmother, brother-in-law and son. The father had left for his shop in the morning. Neighbours informed us that they heard commotion from the house. Two bodies were found near the entrance, and after entering the house, police found two more bodies. All the deceased had assault injuries caused by a sharp weapon,” the DCP said.

He added that the motive behind the killings was still under investigation. “We are gathering inputs from family members, neighbours and other sources. At present, we are verifying all aspects of the case,” he said.

The accused has been identified as Prashant (34), a driver. Police suspect that he killed his mother Mangalamma, grandmother Nanjamma and brother-in-law Satish before dying by suicide by hanging.

Mangalamma worked in a garment factory, Nanjamma was employed as a sweeper, and Satish worked as a plumber and was unmarried.

The incident occurred in Kottigepalya near the Ayyappa Temple under the limits of Kamakshipalya Police Station. The family originally hailed from Kunigal.

Senior police officers and the Scene of Crime (SOCO) team inspected the spot and collected evidence. Police are recording statements of relatives, neighbours and local residents to ascertain the exact circumstances that led to the incident.

Further investigation is underway.

–IANS

mka/rad