Bengaluru: Nearly nine years after police found a Bengaluru cab driver dead under mysterious circumstances, a city court has sentenced his wife and her boyfriend to life imprisonment for his murder.
The case initially appeared to involve suicide, but investigators later uncovered evidence that pointed to a planned killing. Police built their case using medical findings, forensic evidence and mobile phone records.
Cab Driver Found Dead at Home
The victim, Satish, 38, worked as a cab driver and lived in Bengaluru’s Yeswanthpur area. On May 22, 2017, his wife, Kalpana, then 32, alerted neighbours around 3 a.m. and claimed that Satish had attempted suicide.
Neighbours helped take Satish to MS Ramaiah Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Police initially considered suicide because Satish reportedly struggled with alcohol addiction and investigators found no immediate signs of a crime. After recording Kalpana’s initial statement, police allowed the family to perform the last rites.
Post-Mortem Raises Suspicion
The post-mortem examination changed the direction of the investigation.
Doctors found traces of a sedative in Satish’s body and noticed suspicious marks on his neck. The findings raised concerns that someone might have strangled him rather than him dying by suicide.
Investigators then began examining the circumstances surrounding his death more closely.
Relative Provides Key Lead
A major breakthrough came when Krupa Shankar, a relative of Satish, approached Yeswanthpur police the day after the incident.
He told investigators that Kalpana had gone missing with her two children in April 2017. Police later traced her to Ballari, where she stayed with Javed Basha, an aspiring Kannada film actor.
Police eventually reunited Kalpana and her children with Satish after he filed a missing-person complaint. However, the information about Javed gave investigators a new direction.
Call Records Link Kalpana and Javed
Investigators examined the Call Detail Records (CDRs) of Kalpana and Javed.
The records showed frequent communication between the two on the day of Satish’s death. Investigators also noticed a significant two-hour gap between 12:29 a.m. and 2:36 a.m., which matched the estimated time of Satish’s death.
Further analysis placed both mobile phones in the same location during that period. Investigators said the data placed Javed at Satish’s residence despite his claim that he was somewhere else.
The phone records became an important part of the prosecution’s circumstantial evidence.
Police Investigate Alleged Murder Plan
Police later arrested Kalpana and questioned her about the case. According to investigators, she disclosed details about the alleged murder plan.
Investigators alleged that Javed purchased Alprazolam tablets from a medical store in Ballari and gave them to Kalpana. Police said she crushed the tablets and mixed them into pumpkin curry that Satish ate during dinner.
According to the police theory, Satish fell asleep after taking the sedative. Kalpana then moved the children to another room before Javed allegedly entered the house.
Police alleged that the two attacked Satish and then attempted to make his death look like a suicide.
Police Rely on Scientific and Digital Evidence
Investigators filed the chargesheet later in 2017 and relied heavily on scientific evidence, forensic findings, medical testimony and mobile phone data.
The investigating officer also worried that some witnesses could change their statements during the trial. Police therefore focused on objective evidence that could independently support their version of events.
Court Sentences Couple to Life Imprisonment
After years of legal proceedings, the Bengaluru court found Kalpana and Javed Basha guilty of murdering Satish and sentenced both to life imprisonment.
The verdict brings the long-running case closer to a conclusion after investigators spent years establishing what happened on the night of Satish’s death.
Forensic Evidence Played Key Role
The case highlights how forensic science and digital technology can help investigators revisit suspicious deaths.
Medical findings, mobile phone records and other forensic evidence helped police challenge the initial suicide theory and build a murder case.
The conviction also demonstrates the growing importance of digital and forensic evidence in complex criminal investigations, particularly when investigators need to reconstruct events that occurred years earlier.