Teen Solves Father’s Murder After 5 Years, Body Found In Puja Room
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For five long years, no one suspected a crime had taken place in a quiet home in Karnataka. But a teenager’s unwavering persistence finally led police to a shocking discovery: her father’s body buried inside the house’s puja (prayer) room.
Repeated Pleas Ignored
Back in August 2015, Usha, then 19, began visiting Honnalli police station in Davanagere, Karnataka, with an alarming claim — that her mother, Gangamma, had killed her father, Lakshman, and hidden the body inside their home. Initially, officers dismissed her account as implausible.
“It didn’t sound believable,” recalled Maheshwara Gouda S U, the inspector at the time. “But her repeated visits made us take a closer look.”
Her younger brother, then 9 and studying in a boarding school, also started questioning their father’s absence. Soon, villagers supported Usha in demanding a deeper probe.
The Prayer Room Revelation
On 12 August 2015, police visited Usha’s home in Nelahonne village, about 330 km from Bengaluru, accompanied by a forensic team and local officials. To their disbelief, Usha led them straight to the house’s prayer room.
“I was shocked. Even if a dead body had been buried, who would choose to do it in a prayer room where one places images of gods,” said Gouda.
Investigators noted recent renovations in the room and began digging. Just 2–3 feet down, they uncovered human skeletal remains — Usha’s claim was horrifyingly true.
A bone marrow test confirmed the remains were those of Lakshman. Following this, Gangamma was arrested. Her partner, Jagadeesh, 54, was apprehended a month later.
A Chilling Confession
Usha later revealed what she had witnessed as a 15-year-old in 2010. Her parents often fought, and her mother had begun an affair with Jagadeesh, a man from their village. When rumours began to spread, tensions escalated.
One day, Lakshman returned home and got into a violent argument with Gangamma, during which Jagadeesh was present. As per Usha’s court statement, after Lakshman hit Gangamma, Jagadeesh kicked him, and together they smothered him with a pillow — while Usha watched in horror.
The two conspirators feared getting caught if they tried disposing of the body outside. So, the next evening, they buried Lakshman’s body under the floor of the puja room, cemented it, and restored the space with religious idols — as though nothing had happened.
Usha was threatened into silence. Her mother told neighbours that Lakshman had gone to work at a plantation near the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, and over time, people stopped asking.
Usha later confided in the police, “My brother was also quite young. Though it made me suffer every day, I kept it to myself all these years.”
Justice Delivered — But At A Cost
Thanks to Usha’s bravery and 34 witness testimonies, along with nearly 40 pieces of evidence including DNA reports, the court found Gangamma and Jagadeesh guilty. On 14 July this year, the first additional district and sessions court in Davanagere sentenced both to life imprisonment.
The defence pleaded for leniency, citing Jagadeesh’s old age and health issues, and Gangamma’s responsibility toward her grandchild. But Judge M H Annayyanavar noted, “Bodies are burnt or buried, but the accused buried it in the prayer room. If you look at it, they don’t hesitate to do anything.”
Tragically, Usha passed away in a fire in 2020, before she could witness justice being served. A police officer commented, “The day of the verdict was an emotional moment even for the police officers. Usha should have been there as she had waited so long for justice. Her brother now lives alone in the village.”
Repeated Pleas Ignored
Back in August 2015, Usha, then 19, began visiting Honnalli police station in Davanagere, Karnataka, with an alarming claim — that her mother, Gangamma, had killed her father, Lakshman, and hidden the body inside their home. Initially, officers dismissed her account as implausible.
“It didn’t sound believable,” recalled Maheshwara Gouda S U, the inspector at the time. “But her repeated visits made us take a closer look.”
Her younger brother, then 9 and studying in a boarding school, also started questioning their father’s absence. Soon, villagers supported Usha in demanding a deeper probe.
The Prayer Room Revelation
On 12 August 2015, police visited Usha’s home in Nelahonne village, about 330 km from Bengaluru, accompanied by a forensic team and local officials. To their disbelief, Usha led them straight to the house’s prayer room.
“I was shocked. Even if a dead body had been buried, who would choose to do it in a prayer room where one places images of gods,” said Gouda.
Investigators noted recent renovations in the room and began digging. Just 2–3 feet down, they uncovered human skeletal remains — Usha’s claim was horrifyingly true.
A bone marrow test confirmed the remains were those of Lakshman. Following this, Gangamma was arrested. Her partner, Jagadeesh, 54, was apprehended a month later.
A Chilling Confession
Usha later revealed what she had witnessed as a 15-year-old in 2010. Her parents often fought, and her mother had begun an affair with Jagadeesh, a man from their village. When rumours began to spread, tensions escalated.
One day, Lakshman returned home and got into a violent argument with Gangamma, during which Jagadeesh was present. As per Usha’s court statement, after Lakshman hit Gangamma, Jagadeesh kicked him, and together they smothered him with a pillow — while Usha watched in horror.
The two conspirators feared getting caught if they tried disposing of the body outside. So, the next evening, they buried Lakshman’s body under the floor of the puja room, cemented it, and restored the space with religious idols — as though nothing had happened.
Usha was threatened into silence. Her mother told neighbours that Lakshman had gone to work at a plantation near the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, and over time, people stopped asking.
Usha later confided in the police, “My brother was also quite young. Though it made me suffer every day, I kept it to myself all these years.”
Justice Delivered — But At A Cost
Thanks to Usha’s bravery and 34 witness testimonies, along with nearly 40 pieces of evidence including DNA reports, the court found Gangamma and Jagadeesh guilty. On 14 July this year, the first additional district and sessions court in Davanagere sentenced both to life imprisonment.
The defence pleaded for leniency, citing Jagadeesh’s old age and health issues, and Gangamma’s responsibility toward her grandchild. But Judge M H Annayyanavar noted, “Bodies are burnt or buried, but the accused buried it in the prayer room. If you look at it, they don’t hesitate to do anything.”
Tragically, Usha passed away in a fire in 2020, before she could witness justice being served. A police officer commented, “The day of the verdict was an emotional moment even for the police officers. Usha should have been there as she had waited so long for justice. Her brother now lives alone in the village.”
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