Bengaluru: An elderly woman was allegedly beaten to death by her daughter and grandson inside their Kengeri apartment after a drunken quarrel, with the crime coming to light only when the grandson called his paternal uncle seeking money.The deceased has been identified as Jayamma, 70. The accused are her daughter, Bhagyalakshmi, 49, and grandson, Kushal, 26. The alleged murder took place at their residence in Monisha Enclave Apartment in Subhash Nagar, near Kengeri Satellite Town, Sunday night.According to preliminary investigation, police found that Jayamma, Bhagyalakshmi, and Kushal were addicted to alcohol and frequently relied on money obtained from the sale of family properties. The trio is said to have had frequent arguments over this and other matters.On Sunday night, a quarrel broke out between Jayamma and Bhagyalakshmi, and it allegedly escalated into a violent assault. Police said Bhagyalakshmi and Kushal attacked Jayamma with a cricket bat and a wooden stick used to make ragi balls, inflicting fatal injuries.After the murder, the accused allegedly remained in the house and continued drinking. On Monday, Kushal called his paternal uncle, Swamy Naik, seeking money. Naik refused, saying the money would be spent on liquor, and disconnected the call.Kushal later called Naik again and informed him that Jayamma had died, without revealing the circumstances. When Naik rushed to the apartment, he found Jayamma lying dead near the bathroom door with visible injuries. Suspecting foul play, he alerted the cops.Kengeri police rushed to the spot and arrested Bhagyalakshmi and Kushal. DCP (South-West) Anitha B Haddannavar said Dhananjay, a gym owner living in the apartment complex, filed the complaint. A case has been registered under Section 103 (punishment for murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.Dhananjay told police that the apartment residents had earlier admitted Kushal to a rehabilitation centre because of frequent fights and disturbances. He had returned home only a few weeks ago. According to police, Kushal is unemployed while Bhagyalakshmi’s husband, a contractor, left her about 15 years ago over the alcohol addiction and married another woman. He had given her a few sites, two of which were subsequently sold for the family’s livelihood.
