BENGALURU: Investigators probing the sensational triple murder in Bengaluru have approached an artificial intelligence company for access to the accused’s chat history after discovering that he allegedly relied on an AI chatbot to plan the killings over nearly six months, police said on Tuesday.Police said Kenneth, 25, who has been arrested along with his live-in partner Shwetha, 24, allegedly used the chatbot at various stages of the crime, from seeking advice on how to kill and dispose of bodies to finding ways to erase evidence.The murders came to light on June 22, when Somasundar (52), his wife Muthulaxmi (48), and their younger daughter Supriya (19) were found stabbed to death in their apartment in Seegehalli under the KR Puram police station limits.Days later, Shwetha and Kenneth, who had allegedly fled Bengaluru after the murders, were arrested separately in Puducherry, where they had been hiding to evade police.Investigators suspect that financial disputes and strained family relations lay behind the killings.According to police, Shwetha allegedly borrowed Rs 50 lakh from her mother to help Kenneth set up a cloud kitchen business, but the money was exhausted, triggering fears over repayment.While police believe the couple acted together, Kenneth allegedly led the planning and execution of the murders.A senior police officer said he consulted the AI chatbot throughout the six-month period, asking questions about killing methods, body disposal, bloodstain removal and whether a furnace built for the proposed business could be used to incinerate the bodies.During questioning, Kenneth allegedly admitted that a minor disagreement had prompted him to target Shwetha’s family and confessed to depending heavily on the chatbot for guidance.Police have now written to the AI company seeking digital evidence of Kenneth’s conversations with the tool to corroborate his statements.The probe has also revealed that Kenneth suffered from severe social isolation, according to psychological assessments conducted during the investigation.Police alleged that Shwetha financially supported him and gradually distanced herself from friends and family, eventually losing her job in the IT sector.Investigators said the accused duo stole cash and silver ornaments from Shwetha’s house after the murders before escaping to Puducherry.Police said Kenneth allegedly lured Muthulaxmi to the apartment on June 22 and stabbed her repeatedly.Her husband and younger daughter were attacked when they arrived at the scene.Despite sustaining grievous injuries, Somasundar managed to reach the staircase, where neighbours spotted him and alerted police.In his dying declaration, he allegedly identified his daughter and her live-in partner as the attackers and urged police to save his wife and younger daughter before succumbing to his injuries in hospital.(With PTI inputs)
