A six-year-old girl was killed after she spilled ice cream inside a luxury car, according to Bengaluru Police, who say a month-long investigation has uncovered a homicide that was initially presented as a medical emergency.
The case, which began with the death of the little girl in a villa in Bengaluru’s Sigihalli area on March 25, has now led to the arrest of her mother, Priyanka B, and her co-resident, Mohan G Mahaningappa. Police allege the couple tried to hide the circumstances of the death before forensic evidence and witness statements pointed investigators in a different direction.
Kadujodi police arrested Priyanka on Thursday in Hassan area. Mohan, a real estate businessman, has already been detained. Both have been booked in connection with the murder.
According to investigators, the events that led to the child’s death unfolded during a car trip on the night of March 24. Police allege that Mohan became angry after the girl spilled ice cream inside his car.
“During interrogation, the accused revealed that Mohan became very angry after the child spilled ice cream inside his car. He allegedly elbowed the girl in the stomach and later covered her mouth, causing her to suffocate,” Kadugodi police inspector Govardhan said.
Police allege he punched her in the stomach and then choked her when she began crying in pain.
The death was initially registered as unnatural, and the circumstances surrounding it remained unclear for weeks. Police now allege that after the child’s death, Priyanka and Mohan spent nearly 12 hours with the body and traveled by car around Bengaluru before reporting the death.
Officers say the couple sought to portray the incident as a sudden medical complication. “The accused initially tried to portray the incident as a sudden health complication. However, the medical evidence, autopsy results and forensic examination contradicted their story. The investigation clearly indicated foul play,” Govardhan said.
The investigation intensified after the girl’s father, Praveen Basappa, filed a complaint on June 4 alleging that his daughter had been murdered.
According to the complaint, Praveen and Priyanka married in 2007 and have two daughters. Priyanka allegedly resumed her relationship with her college friend Mohan in late 2025 and later moved to Bengaluru with the younger child after filing for divorce. Their eldest daughter stayed with him in Davanagere.
Mohan, who is married with two children, has left his family and is living with Priyanka in a posh villa in east Bengaluru, police said. Investigators said he bought the property where Priyanka and the child were staying.
The father’s complaint alleged that the child had become an obstacle to the relationship between the spouses. He claimed that the two were planning a future together and exploring the possibility of having a child through artificial insemination.
Investigators said they are examining whether the child had been subjected to repeated abuse before her death. According to police, evidence collected during the investigation indicates that she may have been abused on multiple occasions.
Praveen told investigators that he learned about his daughter’s death from Priyanka’s brother on March 25. When he sought details about what happened, he allegedly got conflicting explanations. In one story, Priyanka said that the child had eaten biryani the night before. In another message, she allegedly said that the girl was given ice cream and then left sleeping inside an air-conditioned car while she and Mohan attended a birthday celebration.
Unconvinced by these accounts, Praveen obtained the autopsy report and shared it with one of his relatives, a UK-based pediatric specialist. The doctor reportedly expressed concern about the circumstances of the death, prompting him to call the police, accusing them of assault and suffocation on the child.
“The father’s complaint raised serious allegations, which were carefully examined. The evidence collected during the investigation supports the murder charge registered against the accused,” Govardhan said.
Police detained Mohan for 10 days for further questioning, while they interrogate Priyanka about her role in the crime. Investigators are also examining digital evidence and forensic materials collected from the vehicle in question.
