In the sleepy village of Belur, nestled in Karnataka’s Hassan district, a sinister plot unraveled that left the community reeling in horror. The tranquil evenings, filled with the aroma of home-cooked meals, hid a dark secret: Chaitra, a 33-year-old mother and wife, was allegedly slipping sleeping pills into her family’s food, driven by a forbidden love affair. This chilling case, which broke into headlines in early June 2025, has sent shockwaves through the nation, exposing the fragility of trust within a household. Below, the haunting tale unfolds in chronological order, piecing together a narrative that feels more like a thriller than reality.

The seeds of this grim saga were sown months before June 2025, when Chaitra began tainting her family’s meals with sleeping pills. The quiet village, where neighbors knew each other’s names and shared simple joys, was oblivious to the danger brewing in one home. On June 5, 2025, the truth came crashing down when Gajendra, Chaitra’s husband, stumbled upon a stash of tablets in her bag while looking for a mobile phone. His discovery was the spark that ignited a police investigation, leading to Chaitra’s arrest that very day. The Belur police swiftly registered a case and launched a manhunt for Shivu, a local man suspected of being her accomplice. As of June 10, 2025, the family—Gajendra, their two young children, and in-laws—are recovering, their lives spared by a stroke of luck. Yet, the shadow of Shivu looms large, with authorities still piecing together the full extent of his role in this macabre plot The Indian Express, June 9, 2025.

A Marriage Fractured by Secrets

Chaitra’s story begins in 2014, when she and Gajendra tied the knot, their union promising a future filled with love and family. By 2015 and 2017, they welcomed two children, now 10 and 8 years old, respectively, in 2025. Their home, once a haven, began to crack in 2022 when Gajendra uncovered Chaitra’s affair with a man named Puneeth. The betrayal stung, but with the intervention of both families, the couple reconciled, or so it seemed. “Gajendra, who came to know about this relationship, informed Chaitra’s parents after which both families intervened and resolved the issue,” police reports later revealed, painting a picture of a family desperate to mend its wounds The Daily Guardian, June 9, 2025.

But the peace was fleeting. By 2024, Chaitra had entangled herself in another illicit relationship, this time with Shivu, a man from their village. The fear of exposure gnawed at her. “However, Chaitra got into a relationship with Shivu of the same village about a year ago, and apprehensive that her husband, children and in-laws would come to know about it, she started lacing their food with different tablets every day with an intention to kill them,” the police stated, their words chilling in their matter-of-fact delivery. Shivu, far from being a bystander, allegedly encouraged her deadly scheme, a partner in a plan that threatened to erase an entire family. Tensions in the household had already been inflamed in 2024 when a dispute involving Chaitra’s parents landed Gajendra in jail for several days, deepening the rift between husband and wife LatestLY, June 9, 2025.

The Poison in the Pot

For months leading up to June 2025, Chaitra turned the family kitchen into a weapon. Each meal—steaming rice, fragrant curries, and morning coffee—carried a hidden threat. Sleeping pills and other tablets, ground into powder, were slipped into the food, a silent poison meant to claim the lives of Gajendra, their two children, and her in-laws. The family began to feel the effects: dizziness, unrelenting fatigue, and hours of unnatural sleep. At first, they chalked it up to food poisoning, a common enough ailment in rural homes. But the symptoms persisted, a creeping malaise that no home remedy could cure. Medical tests eventually revealed the truth—traces of drugs in their systems, a discovery that turned suspicion toward Chaitra The Daily Guardian, June 9, 2025.

The unraveling came on June 5, 2025, when Gajendra, driven by a nagging suspicion, searched his wife’s belongings. Hidden in her bag, among everyday items, were the tablets that would confirm his worst fears. He rushed them to a doctor, who identified them as prescription sleeping pills, not something casually obtained. The children, too, provided damning evidence, their young voices recounting how they had seen their mother mixing strange powders into their meals and coffee. Gajendra’s heart must have shattered as he realized the woman he loved had been plotting their demise. He wasted no time, filing a complaint at the Belur police station that same day. Chaitra was arrested, her secret exposed under the harsh light of truth. Mohammad Sujeetha MS, the Hassan Superintendent of Police, confirmed the arrest, adding that a team was hot on Shivu’s trail, though his whereabouts remained uncertain LatestLY, June 9, 2025.

Confusion surrounds Shivu’s status, adding a layer of mystery to the case. A report from the Times of India on June 8, 2025, claimed that both Chaitra and Shivu were in custody Times of India, June 8, 2025. Yet, more recent accounts from The Indian Express and LatestLY, published closer to June 10, 2025, insist that Shivu remains at large, a ghost in the investigation. An X post from Times Now on June 10, 2025, at 05:38 UTC, made no mention of Shivu’s arrest, fueling speculation that he is still evading capture Times Now, X Post, June 10, 2025. The uncertainty only deepens the unease surrounding this case.

During interrogation, Chaitra’s confession was as cold as it was horrifying. She admitted to poisoning the food daily, her intent clear and merciless. Police Superintendent Mohammed Sujeetha’s words captured the gravity of her actions: “Gajendra lodged a complaint on June 2 alleging attempt to murder against his wife and Shivu. Chaitra had got into an illicit relationship and was poisoning their food, Gajendra had alleged. Preliminary investigation has revealed that Chaitra would lace their food with different types of tablets on different days. Chaitra has been arrested and we will arrest Shivu soon.” The discrepancy in the complaint date—June 2 versus her arrest on June 5—suggests either a delay in police action or a reporting error, adding another layer of intrigue to the case The Daily Guardian, June 9, 2025.

The news spread like wildfire through Belur, a village unaccustomed to such dark deeds. Neighbors whispered in disbelief, unable to fathom how a mother could turn against her own children. The case has sparked a broader conversation about trust and safety within families, with many questioning how such a plot could go unnoticed for months. Media outlets, including The Indian Express and Times Now, have kept the story in the spotlight, their reports painting a vivid picture of betrayal Indian Express Bengaluru, X Post, June 9, 2025. An X post by user devkanya_rck on June 10, 2025, at 03:58 IST, offered a glimmer of hope, noting that all victims survived, a miracle given the months of poisoning devkanya_rck, X Post, June 10, 2025.

As the investigation continues, the people of Belur wait anxiously for answers. Was Shivu truly a mastermind alongside Chaitra, or merely a shadow in her dark plan? The family, though physically recovering, faces a long road to heal the wounds of betrayal. This chilling tale serves as a stark reminder that even in the quietest homes, secrets can simmer, waiting to poison everything in their path.