Bengaluru Couple Kills Biker After 2 km Road Rage Chase
Minor mirror scrape ends in calculated murder.
A routine evening commute in Bengaluru's Puttenahalli transformed into a scene of calculated homicide on the night of October 25, when Manoj Kumar, 34, and his wife Aarti Sharma, 31, allegedly pursued and killed 26-year-old motorcyclist Darshan over a trivial mirror collision. Arrested within 48 hours, the couple faces murder charges under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, with police uncovering premeditated actions that escalated a minor accident into a fatal assault. CCTV evidence reveals the duo's relentless two-kilometer chase, executed with chilling precision.
The incident unfolded around 9:45 pm near Puttenahalli Lake when Darshan's bike, carrying friend Varun as pillion, lightly scraped the side mirror of the couple's white SUV. Instead of exchanging details, Kumar accelerated in pursuit while Sharma recorded the motorcycle's registration on her phone. Surveillance footage from multiple junctions shows the SUV weaving through traffic, narrowly missing the bike on the first attempt before performing a sharp U-turn at a signal. On the second strike, the vehicle rammed the motorcycle at over 60 km/h, catapulting both riders 15 feet into a roadside drain.
Medical reports confirm Darshan suffered catastrophic cranial trauma and internal hemorrhaging, succumbing en route to hospital. Varun sustained compound fractures in both legs and a dislocated shoulder but survived after emergency surgery. Forensic analysis of the SUV revealed deliberate acceleration marks and no brake application prior to impact. Blood spatter patterns on the vehicle's bumper align with the prosecution's claim of intentional homicide rather than accidental collision.
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Compounding the evidence, traffic cameras captured the couple returning to the scene 40 minutes later, both wearing surgical masks and gloves. They methodically collected the shattered mirror assembly and headlight fragments before fleeing toward Electronic City. Police recovered these parts from the couple's residence during raids, along with the masked clothing stained with Darshan's blood type. Digital forensics extracted deleted navigation data showing premeditated route planning to intercept the victims' likely path home.
The case has ignited public outrage and renewed calls for stricter road rage legislation. Local authorities report a 40 percent surge in aggressive driving incidents this year, attributing the trend to post-pandemic stress and inadequate enforcement. Community leaders in Puttenahalli have organized candlelight vigils for Darshan, a software engineer supporting his widowed mother, while demanding installation of AI-enabled cameras across high-risk corridors. The Bengaluru Traffic Police have announced mandatory anger management counseling for repeat offenders as investigations continue into whether the couple had prior road rage complaints.
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