Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday, 12 June announced the suspension of three police officers — including an inspector, a sub-inspector, and a writer — for lapses in the investigation of the murder of six-year-old Vennila in Bengaluru's Kadugodi area. The child was allegedly killed by her mother, Priyanka P., and the mother's alleged live-in partner, Mohan J. Mahaningappa, nearly three months after the incident was first reported on 25 March.

What the Home Minister Said

Kharge confirmed the suspensions after a review with senior police officials. 'The investigating officers have committed a few lapses. After the post-mortem report, the case should have been investigated, considering it a case of unnatural death. The PSI had registered a case of unnatural death and kept the case file with him,' he said. Kharge added: 'We don't know why the investigation of the case is delayed.'

He confirmed that both accused — Priyanka P. and Mahaningappa — have been arrested and that investigation is ongoing.

The Alleged Crime

According to police, Vennila was allegedly killed on or around 25 March at a villa in Seegehalli, under the jurisdiction of the Kadugodi police station. Investigators allege that Mahaningappa punched the child in the abdomen with a closed fist after she asked for a different flavour of ice cream. Unable to bear the pain, the child reportedly began crying, following which he allegedly strangled her to death.

Police further claim that after the alleged killing, Priyanka and Mahaningappa spent nearly 12 hours with the child's body and drove around the city in their car before reporting her death as natural.

How the Case Unravelled

The incident was initially recorded as an unnatural death. It was the child's father, Praveen Basappa, who suspected foul play and pushed for a deeper probe. In his complaint, Basappa alleged that Priyanka gave contradictory accounts of the child's death — at one point claiming Vennila had eaten biryani the previous night; at another, saying the child had been given ice cream and left sleeping in an air-conditioned car while the couple attended a birthday party.

Suspicious of the inconsistencies, Basappa obtained the post-mortem report and shared it with a relative — a paediatric specialist based in the United Kingdom — who reportedly expressed concerns about the circumstances of the death. This prompted Basappa to formally allege assault and suffocation.

Background and Motive

According to Basappa's complaint, he and Priyanka were married in 2007 and have two daughters. He alleged that Priyanka rekindled a relationship with college friend Mahaningappa in late 2025 and later moved in with him in Bengaluru after seeking a divorce. Their elder daughter remained with Basappa in Davanagere, while Vennila lived with her mother.

Investigators believe Vennila was frequently subjected to abuse, as Mahaningappa reportedly considered her an obstacle to his relationship with Priyanka. Basappa also alleged in his complaint that the couple were exploring IVF to have a child together and that Vennila had become a perceived impediment to their plans.

Priyanka, who was absconding after the registration of the FIR, was arrested in Sakaleshpura in Madikeri district on Thursday. A court subsequently remanded her to five days of police custody. Mahaningappa had already been taken into custody earlier. Further investigation is in progress.