Woman techie killed after resisting sexual advances in Bengaluru, 18-year-old neighbour arrested

Bengaluru: Bengaluru police have arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with the murder of a 34-year-old woman software engineer, whose death was initially believed to be caused by a fire accident at her apartment in the eastern part of the city.

Police said the accused, a native of Kodagu district, allegedly killed the woman after she refused his sexual advances. The victim, who hailed from Dakshina Kannada, was employed with a leading technology company in Bengaluru.

The incident occurred on the night of January 3 at a two-bedroom flat in Subramanya Layout, under the Ramamurthy Nagar police station limits. At the time of the incident, the victim was alone at home as her flatmate had gone to her hometown.

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Initially, police suspected that the woman had died due to smoke inhalation following a fire caused by a short circuit. However, the case took a turn after one of the victim’s friends raised doubts about the circumstances surrounding her death and filed a complaint.

According to investigators, the accused, who lived with his mother in a neighbouring house, allegedly entered the victim’s flat through a side window around 9 pm. He reportedly made sexual advances, which the woman resisted. Police said he then covered her mouth and nose, causing her to lose consciousness.

The accused allegedly set fire to clothes and other items in the room to make the incident appear accidental and destroy evidence, before fleeing the spot with the victim’s mobile phone. The woman suffered injuries and later died, police said.

Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams examined the scene and technical and forensic evidence helped identify the suspect. He has been arrested and remanded to police custody for three days. Further investigation is underway.

(with inputs from agencies)