Bengaluru, India
Police have arrested a young man from Madurai who threw acid at and attacked his estranged wife with a sickle in Bengaluru following a domestic dispute. CCTV footage of this harrowing incident has gone viral on social media, causing shock.
He had fallen in love with Madhumitha (26), a native of Kolkata, West Bengal, and the couple married in Madurai in 2024 with the consent of both families.
After the wedding, Venkatesh settled in Bengaluru with Madhumitha, who worked as a nurse at a private hospital there. However, frequent disputes arose between the couple over the past year. Unwilling to continue living with her husband, Madhumitha left their home; she began staying in a hostel while continuing to work at the hospital in J.P. Nagar 3rd Phase. Venkatesh was employed at an oil company in Chennai.
Yesterday morning, Madhumitha arrived at work as usual. Around 9:15 AM, she walked to a nearby eatery for breakfast. Venkatesh arrived on a two-wheeler, intercepted her, and threw acid that he had concealed in his bag. Shocked and screaming, Madhumitha tried to flee, but Venkatesh chased after her.
She sought refuge in the ground-floor parking area of her hospital. Venkatesh pursued her there, pulled a sickle from his bag, and hacked her indiscriminately. Severely injured, Madhumitha collapsed in a pool of blood. When hospital staff rushed to the scene upon hearing Madhumitha's screams and attempted to apprehend Venkatesh, he tried to attack them with the sickle as well.
Police from J.P. Nagar arrived quickly at the scene, rescued Madhumitha—who was fighting for her life—and immediately admitted her to the emergency ward. Meanwhile, members of the public managed to overpower Venkatesh and handed him over to the police.
Madhumitha sustained more than ten severe chop wounds to her head from the attack. She is currently in critical condition and is receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Investigations revealed that Venkatesh had traveled all the way from Chennai to Bengaluru on a two-wheeler with the intention of killing his wife, driven by the suspicion that she was involved with another man.
The police have registered a case against Venkatesh under various charges, including attempted murder, and are conducting a thorough investigation. Footage of this brutal incident, in which he viciously attacked his wife with a sickle, has surfaced and caused widespread shock
