Bhatkal: 4 of a family brutally murdered; young children orphaned

Bhatkal: In a gruesome murder, four members of a family were brutally hacked to death at Gaduvalli in Bhatkal taluk on Friday.

The deceased have been identified as Shambhu Bhat (68), his wife Mahadevi Bhat (54), their son Rajeev Bhat (34), and daughter-in-law Kusuma (30).

All four were found dead in a pool of blood in the afternoon outside their home in Gaduvalli. The bodies had deep slash wounds on their face, neck, and head, which appear to be made by a sharp weapon. While three bodies were found close to each other, Shabhu Bhat’s body was found lying at a distance.

The motive and murder sequence is yet to be ascertained.

Police rushed to the crime scene and have taken up the investigation.

Young children spared:

The two children of Rajeev Bhat survived. One of them had been to the school at the time of the incident. The other child who was at home was spared.