Bengaluru: City police on Sunday arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with the murder of a 34-year-old woman software engineer, whose death was initially believed to be the result of a fire accident at her apartment in the eastern part of the city.
The accused, a native of Kodagu district, was arrested on charges of murder after investigations revealed that the fire was allegedly set to destroy evidence. Police said the woman was killed after she resisted the accused’s sexual advances.
The victim, who hailed from Dakshina Kannada, was employed with a leading technology firm in Bengaluru. The incident occurred late on the night of January 3 at a two-bedroom flat in Subramanya Layout, under the jurisdiction of Ramamurthy Nagar police station. At the time of the incident, her flatmate was away in her hometown.
Initially, police suspected that the woman had died due to suffocation caused by smoke following a fire, which was believed to have broken out due to a short circuit. However, suspicion was raised after a friend of the victim lodged a complaint, prompting a detailed investigation.
According to police, the accused lived next door with his mother and allegedly entered the victim’s flat through a side window around 9 pm on January 3. He is said to have demanded sexual cooperation, which the woman resisted. The accused then allegedly held her mouth and nose tightly, causing her to lose consciousness. Police said she sustained minor injuries and was bleeding.
Investigators further stated that the accused allegedly set fire to the bed after throwing the victim’s clothes and other materials on it, in an attempt to destroy evidence. He reportedly fled the scene after taking the victim’s mobile phone.
Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams examined the spot, and based on technical and forensic evidence, police arrested the suspect. He has been remanded to police custody for three days, and further investigation is underway.
