Police found the body of a 32-year-old man with speech and hearing impairment on Wednesday in Mysuru district after a months-long investigation into a rare case involving the victim and the accused in which both the victim and the accused were specially able, with the investigation relying on sign language experts, police said on Thursday.
The victim, Swamy, a resident of Devaramanahalli Ballia in Nanjangud taluk, lived with his wife Savita, who also suffers from speech and hearing impairment, along with their three-year-old daughter, police said. The couple had married four years ago.
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According to investigators, the main accused, Srinivas, a 37-year-old man from Kunigal in Tumakuru district, was also speech and hearing impaired, and had become acquainted with the couple. Over time, Srinivas developed a fondness for Swami’s wife and allegedly conspired with two other of his specially-abled companions to kill the man.
Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Balande said the case began with a missing person’s complaint. He said: “We initially registered a missing person case based on the complaint, and during the investigation it turned out to be a murder case. So far, we have arrested two of the accused and formed teams to arrest the third suspect.”
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The police said that the victim was lured on February 12 to Amatur village in Kunigal taluk, where the accused allegedly took him to a forest area on the pretext of drinking together. It is believed that they attacked and killed him during the gathering.
Investigators said the accused then tried to destroy the evidence by tying stones to the body and throwing them into the well.
The victim’s wife, who was unaware of the crime, initially thought he had gone to work. When he failed to return, she filed a complaint about his disappearance on March 4.
Baladi said the investigation gained momentum after officers noticed inconsistencies in the main suspect’s behavior during video calls with the victim’s wife, which were conducted through sign language.
Suspicions deepened when police learned that the suspect had handed over the victim’s mobile phone to the wife the day after Swamy’s disappearance.
The main obstacle for investigators was communication, as the three suspects were speech and hearing impaired. The police sought help from experts at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) in Mysuru to conduct the interrogations.
With the help of translators, the police interrogated the accused, which led to his confession. Baladi added: “The defendants admitted that they disposed of the body in a well, and based on the information available to them, the place was searched, the body was recovered, and legal procedures were initiated. A motorcycle and a mobile phone used in the crime were also seized.”
The decomposed body was recovered on Wednesday, about two months after the murder. Authorities said the victim’s mother confirmed his identity based on clothing found on the body.
Police have arrested the main accused and another man named Gangadhar, while efforts are still underway to trace the third suspect. Baladi said the case highlighted the complexities of investigating crimes within the disabled community.
“This case highlights the complexity of an investigation involving individuals with special abilities. With the support of AIISH experts, we were able to effectively communicate and uncover the truth behind the crime,” Baladi said.
