BENGALURU: Haunted by morbid thoughts of who would take care of his wife upon his death, a former Isro staffer, 76, allegedly strangled his wife to death on Wednesday morning, contemplated ending his life by suicide, but panicked and aborted the plan.Police officers probing the case said Nageshwar Rao, who retired as a team leader, is under treatment for unstated psychological issues. The incident took place in a senior living community in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area, a first such case in many years.
According to preliminary investigations, Rao used a bath towel to smother Sandhya Shri, 63, while she was preparing lunch in the kitchen around 10.15am in The Virtuoso in Bommenahalli. Rao has been arrested on charges of murder.The couple from Andhra Pradesh purchased the flat three years ago. Their only daughter is settled in the US. Informed by police, the daughter is flying to Bengaluru, sources said.“After the woman collapsed, Rao sat near her body for 20 minutes. He called a neighbour, asking him to come home immediately as he had killed his wife. The neighbour thought it was a joke. When Rao repeatedly said it, the neighbour rushed in,” police said.Seeing Sandhya motionless on the floor, the neighbour called a doctor in the apartment. Since many senior citizens live in the apartment, an ambulance and a doctor are deployed round the clock.“The doctor examined Sandhya and declared her dead. Then, the doctor called police,” an investigating officer said.When police entered the flat, Rao was sitting on the sofa and readily confessed to the incident. “Yes, I killed her. I may not live more than 3-4 years from now. Who’ll look after her after my death? We don’t have close relatives in Bengaluru,” he said.However, when a senior police officer questioned him about the motive, Rao answered the query with a blank stare.The incident has jolted police and geriatric caregivers. A cop said: “This shocking episode comes at a time when community-living residences for senior citizens are gaining popularity in Bengaluru.”
