BENGALURU: In a shocking incident that had its roots in prolonged marital discord, a 40-year-old software professional allegedly shot his estranged wife dead on a busy road in West Bengaluru during the evening rush hour on Tuesday, before walking into a police station with the pistol and surrendering.The victim was identified as Bhuvaneshwari, 39, an assistant manager at Union Bank of India’s Basaveshwaranagar branch. The accused, Balamurugan, 40, worked at a private IT firm. Both are natives of Salem district in Tamil Nadu. Police said the shooting occurred around 6.30 pm on 1st Main Road in the Rajajinagar Industrial Area. Preliminary investigations revealed that Balamurugan fired four rounds at close range. Two bullets struck Bhuvaneshwari on the head, while the remaining two hit her left hand, causing fatal injuries. The gunshots triggered panic among hundreds of commuters and pedestrians in the area, who ran for cover. Passers-by found Bhuvaneshwari lying in a pool of blood and alerted the police. She was rushed to a private hospital but was declared brought dead. Bhuvaneshwari had been living with the couple’s two children – a 12-year-old son and an eight-year-old daughter – in a rented house in Rajajinagar. Balamurugan was residing separately and working in Whitefield. The couple, married in 2011, had been living apart for about 1.5 years following frequent quarrels. Police said the accused suspected his wife of having an affair, though this claim has not been substantiated.According to investigators, Bhuvaneshwari had sought legal separation, which Balamurugan was unwilling to accept. Six months ago, she was transferred from the Whitefield branch of the bank and moved to a new rented residence with her children without informing her husband. About four months ago, after tracing her new address, Balamurugan allegedly quit his IT job and shifted to Cholurpalya in Kempapura Agrahara to stay closer to her.Police said matters escalated further about a week ago when Balamurugan received a divorce notice from Bhuvaneshwari. Enraged, he allegedly decided to kill her. On Tuesday evening, while Bhuvaneshwari was returning home from work, he spotted her near Basaveshwaranagar police station and shot her on the road. After the incident, Balamurugan walked into a police station and surrendered along with the pistol. DCP (West) S Girish said the weapon had been seized and police were verifying whether it was licensed. While the accused claimed to have fired five rounds, police recovered only four empty cartridges from the scene.Bhuvaneshwari’s parents in Tamil Nadu have been informed.
