In the upscale Ramamurthy Nagar area of Bengaluru, a fire in an apartment initially seemed like an accident, but as the investigation progressed, it unfolded into a planned murder. The autopsy report revealed that the software engineer woman living in the flat was strangled to death, not burned.
The dramatic incident took place on the night of January 3rd. At 10:30 PM, flames suddenly engulfed an apartment in the Subrahmanyam Layout. Immediate reports were made to the fire brigade and the police by concerned neighbors. The flat was occupied by two young women, creating fears that someone might be trapped inside due to the fierce blaze.
Firefighters arrived and began extinguishing the fire. Breaking through the door, they discovered the body of a young woman. The flat was locked from the inside. Initially, it was assumed that a short circuit caused the fire, leading to death by suffocation. The victim was identified as 34-year-old Sharmila DK, a software engineer by profession.
Source: aajtak
She shared the flat with a roommate, who was in Assam during the incident. Originally from Mangaluru, Sharmila stayed alone in the flat at the time. Initially, the police registered an unnatural death case and began investigating. A forensic team meticulously examined the scene, finding burnt clothes and belongings.
Sharmila's mobile phone was missing, raising suspicions beyond a mere fire incident. The autopsy report confirmed police suspicions: Sharmila died from strangulation, evidenced by injury marks indicative of a struggle prior to her death.
Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh declared it to be a deliberate murder. Consequently, the police began looking for potential suspects. Investigations unearthed that an 18-year-old college student, living next door to Sharmila, was missing since the incident. The individual hailed from Birajpet in the Kodagu district.
Source: aajtak
Being neighbors, the suspect occasionally interacted with Sharmila and her roommate. Meanwhile, the police tracked Sharmila's missing phone through surveillance. Once located, the pathway to apprehend the suspect, Kurai, was clear. The suspect confessed during interrogation.
According to his confession, on January 3rd, driven by malicious intentions, he entered Sharmila's apartment through a sliding window. Upon seeing him, Sharmila panicked and screamed. When she resisted, he attacked her and strangled her to death. To eliminate evidence, he set the flat on fire and fled.
The suspect burned his bloodstained clothes and escaped. The police have charged him under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for murder and evidence destruction. The suspect was arrested 9 days after the crime. The investigation continues, with police probing the suspect's criminal history.
