Bengaluru businessman ends life after smashing wife with dumbbells, throwing pet dog from rooftop

In a shocking case of suicide-murder, a businessman from Bengaluru allegedly bludgeoned his wife with dumbbells, killed pet dog and later ended his life on Tuesday. The police suspect that the businessman was depressed over cancer in the family. It is still not clear exactly who was suffering from the deadly disease. According to a Times of India report, the businessman has been identified as Atul Upadhya. The 55-year-old used to live with his 53-year-old wife a pet dog in Bengaluru. The couple had no children.

Detailing the sequence of the event, the TOI report said that Upadhya first killed his wife. Then his threw his pet Labrador from the terrace of his apartment. Minutes later, he allegedly committed suicide. The gruesome murder-suicide was first noticed by the security guard outside Atul’s apartment who saw the body of the dog. Later, police was called in that found bodies of the businessman on ground and his wife’s body inside one of the rooms of the apartment.

The police discovered a set of notes in which Upadhya talked about cancer. “This is better than cancer. This is not selfishness,” the note said. The police will send the bodies including that of pet dog for autopsy. Locals say that the couple lived a normal life and wife was often seen at local gym, the TOI report said.  

The number of cancer cases have more than doubled over the last 26 years. The highest increase among all therapy areas, with breast cancer being the most common among Indian women, according to a recent report. As per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) data, India had 14 lakh cancer patients in 2016 and this number is expected to increase. Oral Cancer is among the top three cancers in India, number one among all cancers in men and number three among female cancers. "The age standardised rate is approximately 25.8 per one lakh women and is expected to rise to 35 per one lakh women in 2026," the report had stated.