A 34-year-old software engineer, Sharmila Kushalappa, was found dead after a fire broke out at her flat in Subramanya Layout on the night of January 3. What started as a fire incident in an apartment in East Bengaluru is now confirmed as a murder case.
At first, authorities thought the fire was due to a short circuit. However, forensic tests later showed that she had been suffocated to death and that the fire was set to destroy evidence. The victim, from Dakshina Kannada, worked for a popular tech company.
Bengaluru Techie Killed in Flat
An 18-year-old PUC student, Kurai, who is from Virajpet, has been arrested in connection with the crime. He lived next door with his single mother.
On the day of the incident, he reportedly entered the victim’s flat through a sliding window around 9 PM. According to investigators, he demanded sexual favors and killed her when she resisted.
18 year Old PUC Student Arrested in Murder
Police said that he allegedly pinned her down and covered her mouth and nose, causing her to lose consciousness. During the attack, she sustained a minor injury and began to bleed.
He later gathered her clothes and other items from the room, placed them on the bed, and set them on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence. He then fled the flat, taking the victim’s mobile phone with him. Kurai is also accused of setting the flat on fire after the murder and fleeing with her mobile phone. He has been charged under Sections 103(1), 64(2), 66, and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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