BENGALURU: A 33-year-old software engineer has been sent for psychiatric evaluation after allegedly stabbing his parents to death inside their upscale villa in Bengaluru’s tech corridor.Police say the accused, Rohan Bhat, appeared mentally unstable and was making contradictory statements during questioning. He has now been referred to NIMHANS for assessment instead of being taken into police custody.The victims — former merchant navy captain Naveen Chandra and his wife, dentist Shyamala — were found with multiple stab wounds inside their home in Vignan Nagar, near HAL Township, on Wednesday morning.Officers from HAL Police Station arrested Rohan later that day.“Though circumstantial evidence points to Rohan’s involvement in the murder, what is evading clarity is the exact motive behind it,” a police officer said.“Rohan makes contradictory statements every now and then. Once, he claims his father refused to give him Rs 4 lakh for his new project. Then, he changes it, saying the fight broke out over changing his mobile number from the family package. Also, he was undergoing mood swings. So, we decided to question him once his younger sister arrives from the US,” he added.Based on a preliminary assessment, police believe Rohan could be suffering from schizophrenia, a serious mental health condition characterised by disorganised thinking or behaviour.

How events unfolded

The couple had returned to Bengaluru from Bhubaneswar on Monday evening after a 10-day trip.“Since his mother intimated him, Rohan came home to receive them. According to Rohan, he requested Naveen to fund his projects and Naveen refused. However, the fight broke out early Wednesday morning when Naveen was getting ready for a walk and Rohan repeated his demand. At one stage, Naveen shouted at Rohan, asking him to leave the house immediately. According to Rohan, his father hit him with the stock of an airgun,” an investigating officer said.Police say Rohan later used a kitchen knife to attack his parents. He has told officers he does not remember what happened.The violence came to light around 7.30am when neighbours heard commotion from the villa.Dr Madhavi Nair, who lives nearby, described what she witnessed, “I rushed out and found Naveen in the garden of the opposite house. He had multiple stab wounds. I saw Shyamala lying on the floor inside the house. She was not responding. I was told by my neighbour that their son, Rohan, was inside. I asked him to come out. He said he was hit on the stomach. Then, I went inside and checked on Shyamala. I could not feel a pulse,” she said.She also stated, “Shyamala had told me that Rohan had some psychiatric issues and was on medication.”The couple were taken to Manipal Hospital on Old Airport Road but were declared dead on arrival.