From affair to contract killing: Inside Bengaluru gym trainer’s murder probe

The alleged murder of gym trainer Vinod Kumar, 35, whose decomposed body was found in a field near a village on the outskirts of Bengaluru on June 9, has exposed a long chain of police complaints, a marital dispute, and allegations of threats from a wealthy real estate businessman.

Nearly five months before Kumar’s body was found, his wife had approached the police alleging that he had received death threats from a realtor. The threats, she told the police, stemmed from Kumar’s alleged three-year relationship with the businessman’s daughter. She further alleged that the realtor had warned that he would send a “hit team” to kill Kumar if he did not end the relationship.

The complaint was filed at the K R Puram police station on January 25 as a non-cognizable report (NCR). Officers closed it the same day, saying the complaint was vague, and advised the complainant to approach a court for directions to register a case.

On June 9, Kumar’s body was found in a field near Kaleshwari village on the fringes of the Bannerghatta forest. His skull was bludgeoned, and his body showed signs of multiple injuries.

In the aftermath of the murder case, a series of complaints and counter-complaints filed with the Bengaluru police since 2023 by Kumar’s wife and the now prime accused businessman—he obtained a court injunction against being named in the media—has emerged at the centre of investigations.

Police complaints by the gym trainer’s wife

Kumar and his wife got married nine years ago and have a five-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. Documents reveal that on October 26, 2023, his wife filed a missing persons complaint alleging he had disappeared, possibly with the realtor’s daughter, after an alleged fight with the businessman.

Just days earlier, on October 23, 2023, the businessman had filed a complaint that his 18-year-old daughter was missing, naming Kumar as a suspect. Kumar was a trainer at a local gym that the young girl used to attend.

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Both cases were closed within two weeks after the police traced Kumar and the girl in another city. They stated that they had left independently due to disputes at home with their spouse and parents, respectively.

Kumar’s wife later filed multiple complaints against him, in July 2024 and December 2025, accusing him of harassment and abuse. She also accused Kumar of failing to pay court-ordered maintenance after she sought a divorce.

On June 1 this year, days before Kumar disappeared, his wife filed a complaint alleging he had assaulted her inside the court premises in Bengaluru when they went to attend a divorce hearing. On court orders, on June 2, the Bengaluru police lodged a First Information Report (FIR) on charges of assault and harassment against Kumar.

Four days later, on June 6, Kumar, who worked at Elevate Gym near Electronic City, disappeared. On June 9, an unidentified body was found near Kaleshwari village, and the Bannerghatta police circulated notices with pictures of the body, including a tattoo of a soaring eagle on the right bicep.

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At the same time, on June 10, Kumar’s family from the Mulbagal region of Kolar district bordering Andhra Pradesh—including his mother, whom he called every night—grew worried and approached the Electronics City police station to report him missing.

“The Electronics City police referred the family to the Bannerghatta police station,” Vasudev Reddy, Kumar’s cousin, told the media. When the family was taken to see the body, they identified it as Kumar’s.

Contract for Rs 25 lakh: Police

The Bengaluru Rural police’s investigation into Kumar’s murder has revealed that he was allegedly lured to a drinking session on the night of June 6 by Sumeeth, who trained occasionally at the gym. During the drinking session, Kumar was allegedly murdered with strikes to his head. Apart from Sumeeth, three others—Srirama, Venkateshaiah, and Babu—all residents of Anekal, near Kumar’s workplace, were involved in the attack, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police for the Central Range, S Girish, said.

After the accused were arrested on June 21, Kumar’s family said none of the arrested persons had any direct enmity with him.

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“The interrogation of the arrested accused and the analysis of technical evidence that has been gathered have revealed the role of the real estate businessman and his associates in the murder. They have been identified as co-accused in the murder and are absconding,” a central range police officer said.

“We have found technical evidence of the meetings that were conducted to plan the murder. We have found that a supari (contract) was issued for the murder. We have details of communications. The evidence gathered is incriminating against the realtor,” the officer added. The contract was allegedly arranged for Rs 25 lakh.

The real estate businessman has claimed in court pleas that the police have wrongly accused him. His wife took to social media to allege that the central range DIG was pressuring her husband to make him a partner in his real estate ventures and share profits from projects. She also claimed that her missing husband had been falsely implicated in the murder case after he refused to comply with the alleged demands.

“The wife of the accused person is making allegations against the police to derail investigations and lower the morale of the police,” the Bengaluru Rural police said in a response on social media.

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The police have claimed that Kumar’s contract killing was ordered through a lawyer in Anekal, who was closely associated with the realtor and is now missing.