In a very shocking turn of events, Om Prakash, a retired Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP), was found dead with stab wounds in his home in HSR Layout, Bengaluru, on Sunday. The 68-year-old retired police officer, who was from the 1981 batch of the Indian Police Service (IPS), is said to have died between 2 and 3 pm. The case has triggered widespread alarm, with the police now concentrating their investigation on his wife, Pallavi Om Prakash, who has been taken into custody for questioning.
Wife Informs Police, But Delays Access to the Scene
The police were informed by 61-year-old Pallavi herself around 4:30 pm, who had first reported the death. But when police personnel arrived at the residence, both Pallavi and the couple's 37-year-old daughter reportedly refused to let them inside the room where Om Prakash's body was discovered. After officers were finally let in, they found his dead body with numerous stab wounds on his chest, abdomen, and arms.
“The incident happened at around 2 to 3 pm on Sunday… When the police team visited the spot, the wife and daughter refused to open the door,” the officer said.
Suspected motive: Long-standing domestic dispute
Early indications are that the reason may be a domestic altercation. Police sources indicate that Om Prakash and Pallavi had constant fights, which had increased in intensity over the past few weeks.
There is a physical assault. A weapon has been used. There is blood loss. We will get the details after further investigation.
ACP Vikash Kumar Vikash
In a shocking discovery, officials mentioned that Pallavi had earlier shared on a WhatsApp group of retired IPS officers that Om Prakash had pointed a pistol at her. Although the message was horrific, no one in the group reported it to the authorities then. "Pallavi had put up a message on retired IPS officers’ WhatsApp group a few days ago accusing Prakash of putting a pistol to her temple and threatening to kill her,” the fourth officer said.
Family Property Disputes May Have Played a Role
Investigations also revealed property ownership tensions. Om Prakash had reportedly registered land in his sister's name and another property in his son's name, moves that reportedly infuriated Pallavi. A senior officer said this could be a major trigger for the violent confrontation.
Insanity Defense May Be on the Horizon
Dr. Munish Raizada, MD, FAAP, writing on health platform MedBound Hub, observes the psychological side of the case:
The recent news of murder of Karnatka’s ex-chief cop Mr Om Prakash (68 years) by his wife Ms. Pallavi has sent shock waves. What has emerged is that wife is affected with Schizophrenia and past history includes doing bizarre things like sending SOS and doing detox with ghee and nimbu, etc. To me it seems that the McNaughten Rule will play out in this case. The advocates of Ms. Pallavi will introduce insanity as the defense and try to bring her out clean of this murder. Had some preventive or pre-emptive measures taken earlier, this unfortunate incidence would have been prevented.
Police Continue Investigation, Await FIR
Deputy Commissioner of Police Vikash Kumar has confirmed that Om Prakash's son has lodged a written complaint, and the FIR registration process is being initiated. Although no arrests have been made so far, the investigation is in progress. The authorities are waiting for further forensic and psychological tests before proceeding further with legal action.
While Karnataka mourns the death of one of its best police officers, the case is a harrowing reminder of how untreated mental illness and unsettled domestic disagreements can end in tragedy.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal Arshad/MSM)
