Vinod M Jain
A 40-year-old guest lecturer was allegedly murdered by her male friend, who later set her body on fire inside a car before dying by suicide, near Jinkebachchahalli village in Doddaballapur taluk on Saturday.
The deceased has been identified as Saroja (40),a guest lecturer at a private college in Devanahalli.
The accused,Ramanjinappa(45),a relator,is suspected to have died by suicide by jumping in front of a train. Ramajinappa was married
Senior officer told reporters that Saroja and Ramanjinappa had been in a relationship for the past year.
Police said Ramanjinappa had been pressuring her to marry him,but she refused.Saroja having a decent job, living with her with her family and the husband.
Investigators believe that enraged by the rejection, Ramanjinappa planned the murder.On the day of the incident,he allegedly took Saroja on a long drive in a car borrowed from a friend.
During the journey,an argument broke out,following which he is said to have attacked her with a hammer, killing her on the spot.
Police said the accused then set the vehicle on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence and fled the scene.
Passers-by noticed the burning car and alerted authorities.Personnel from Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services assisted the Doddaballapura Rural Police Station in dousing the fire.
A charred body was later recovered from the backseat of the vehicle.
The car was completely gutted and the police found the body in the backseat in a sleeping position and the jawline facing upwards,indicating that she was murdered before setting the car on fire the officer said.
Using the chassis number,police traced the vehicle owner,identified as Suresh Kumar,who informed them that he had received an alert about an accident involving the car.His attempts to contact Ramanjinappa were unsuccessful.
Later in the evening,railway police alerted local authorities about the recovery of a mangled body near the tracks near Bidadi .
The decreased was identified as Ramanjinappa through his Aadhaar card and ATM card .
Piecing together the sequence of events,police concluded that the accused murdered Saroja and later died by suicide while attempting to escape.
A case of murder and suicide has been registered,and further investigation is underway.
(those having suicidal tendencies can call Arogya Sahayavani ph.104 for help )
