Karnataka woman hacked to death at Bantwal bus stand; relative on the run

2 min readBengaluruUpdated: Jul 17, 2026 11:33 AM IST

The incident occurred at the KSRTC bus depot in Bantwal on Thursday evening. Lavanya, who worked at a private nursing home, was waiting for a bus when she was attacked. (Photo: Special arrangement)

A 24-year-old woman was hacked to death at a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus depot in Bantwal on Thursday evening, allegedly by a distant relative whose advances she had spurned.

The incident occurred at the KSRTC New Bus Stand on B C Road. The victim, Lavanya, a resident of Kakkepadavu village in the Dakshina Kannada district, worked at a private nursing home in Kalladka.

According to police, she was waiting for a bus home around 6 pm when Chetan allegedly approached her with a machete concealed in his bag. On noticing the weapon, Lavanya tried to flee, but he allegedly chased her and attacked her repeatedly in public before escaping, leaving the weapon behind.

Bystanders rushed Lavanya to the Bantwal Taluk Government Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. The police said a preliminary investigation suggests that Chetan had been pursuing her despite repeated rejections.

Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police K Arun said special teams have been formed to trace and arrest Chetan. “A murder case has been registered at Bantwal Town police station. We have constituted special teams to apprehend the accused, and further investigation is underway,” he said.