Teen neighbor kills Bengaluru techie for rejecting sexual advances
What's the story
The death of a 34-year-old software engineer, Sharmila DK, at her Bengaluru apartment on January 3 has been ruled a murder. She was initially suspected to have died of suffocation after a fire broke out at her apartment. However, the investigation took a turn after one of Sharmila's friends raised doubts about the circumstances of her death.
Police
Neighbor teen arrested
Based on this, the Ramamurthy Nagar police filed a case and sent the body for post-mortem examination. "The scene of crime officers and forensic experts found no evidence to support the short-circuit theory. The evidence clearly pointed toward arson. Further, the autopsy revealed that the woman had died due to suffocation," a senior police officer said. The police have since arrested 18-year-old Krishnayya, Sharmila's neighbor, for the crime.
Crime details
Accused's entry and alleged crime
Investigators found that Kurai had entered Sharmila's apartment through a sliding window around 9:00pm on January 3. He allegedly demanded sexual favors from Sharmila, and when she resisted, he smothered her to death. Bleeding injuries were also found on Sharmila during the investigation. After believing she was dead, Kurai allegedly set fire to the apartment to destroy evidence and fled with Sharmila's mobile phone.
Legal proceedings
Accused's arrest and charges
Kurai was arrested at his residence on January 10 and has been remanded to three days of police custody. He has been booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 including murder, rape, causing death or resulting in persistent vegetative state of victim and causing disappearance of evidence. Further investigations are underway to reconstruct the sequence of events and gather forensic evidence.