Man held over ‘planned murder’ of B’luru techie

AN 18-year-old adult male has been arrested on dominicus in connectedness with the at present suspected premeditated dispatch of a woman software professional in Bengaluru’s Ramamurthy Nagar initially believed to be a death caused due to a fire triggered by an electrical short circuit, police said.According to police, the arrested accused, identified as Karnal Kurai, a resident of Kerala, was arrested in connection with the alleged murder of the victim, Sharmila, 34, originally from Kavoor in Mangaluru. She had been living for about a year and a half in an apartment at Subramanya Layout in Ramamurthy Nagar along with a friend. She worked at a private IT firm near her residence. On the day of the incident, she was on leave and alone at home, as her roommate had travelled to her home town.The incident occurred late on January 3, around 11pm, when a fire broke out in one of the rooms of the apartment, filling the house with thick smoke. Fire and emergency services rushed to the spot after neighbours alerted the police, doused the flames and shifted the body for a post-mortem examination. At the time, investigators suspected that a short circuit had caused the fire, leading to death by suffocation.“At first glance, everything pointed towards an accidental fire caused by an electrical short circuit. There were no visible signs of foul play,” Ramamurthy Nagar police inspector GJ Sathish said.That assessment changed after forensic findings challenged the initial conclusion. The post-mortem report and analysis by the Forensic Science Laboratory revealed inconsistencies at the scene, prompting investigators to suspect that the fire had been deliberately set to destroy evidence.“As the investigation progressed, it became clear that this was not an accident but a planned murder made to look like a fire mishap. The accused attempted to create a false narrative of an electrical fire to mislead investigators,” Sathish said.Police said the accused, Karnal Kurai, was Sharmila’s neighbour and had known her for nearly two years. Investigators believe the crime stemmed from his obsession for her.“Evidence suggests the accused had planned the murder in advance and used fire as a cover-up,” the officer said, adding that the arrest was made on the basis of strong technical and circumstantial evidence.The accused is currently being interrogated to determine the precise sequence of events, the motive and whether others were involved. Police said further details would be shared after the questioning is completed.