Venkatash was caught by police with the help of CCTV footage in the area. | Photo Credit: Representative Image

Key Highlights Husband, wife kill 4 senior citizens before robbing them Two of the victims were the relatives of the accused Police arrest accused with the help of CCTV camera

Bengaluru: In a shocking incident, a cab driver and his wife murdered four senior citizens after robbing them in an attempt to repay their bank loan.

Police have now arrested the couple for the murders which took place in the last four months. The accused have been identified as 30-year-old Venkatesh and 21-year-old Arpita.

According to a report, the cab driver had taken Rs 10 lakh loan but did not have any means to pay it. According to Mahadevapura police, the couple decided to commit the crime to pay their debt.

The couple, who is married for three years, has a one-and-a-half-year-old baby. The accused Venkatash used to work for an app-based cab aggregator.

Police say the accused used to target senior citizens who either did not have kids or used to live without their children.

According to police, the accused couple was an avid watcher of crime serials and probably took inspiration from them.

"The first target of Venkatesh and Arpita was an elderly couple in Bengaluru on October 16. Following further investigation, we came to know that the two had also murdered another aged couple in KR Pet area of Mandya district," the report quoted DCP (Whitefield) MN Anucheth as saying.

On October 16, the accused killed a 63-year-old retired employee Chandregowda and his 55-year-old wife Lakshmamma in RHB Colony in Garudacharpalya.

Venkatesh was caught by police with the help of CCTV cameras in the area. The accused was a distant relative of the victim Lakshmamma.

Arpita and Venkatesh decided to target the elderly couple after seeing Lakshmamma's jewellery at a marriage function a month ago.

Police said the accused met the elderly couple frequently at their home to gain their confidence. Later, the two accused visited their house and killed the couple after robbing their jewellery, silver items and cash.

Gold sale after murder

The two accused then sold the looted gold for Rs 8.6 lakh at Shri Dhanalaxmi Jewellers in Malleswaram.

The police arrested the accused on Saturday in Dakshina Kannada district. The two had taken shelter at the house of Venkatash's friend.

Police said the accused had also killed another elderly couple - Gundegowda and his wife Lalithamma - in a similar fashion. Venkatesh was also related to Lalithamma. After killing the couple, the two fled with Rs 2,000 cash and 60 grams of jewellery.

