The police have cracked the case of a 56-year-old woman, Thimmamma, who went missing from her her residence last Thursday, and found that it was a case of kidnap and murder.
The accused has been identified as Sheela (26), a resident of Saraswathipuram in Mahalakshmi Layout. She allegedly hatched a plan to kidnap Thimmamma to kill her and steal her valuables to help her boyfriend repay a loan, the police said. Sheela, who was married and had two children, was having an affair with Arun, a cab driver from the same area.
She called Thimmamma from a coin booth on the pretext of returning the Rs. 3,000 she had taken from her. They met at a bar and restaurant on Thursday, from where Sheela took her in a vehicle along with Arun.
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The duo managed to take her to Mysuru, but Thimmamma raised an alarm and tried to get down.
Sheela and Arun stopped the vehicle near Mandya and strangled her to death before dumping her body in an isolated place near the highway.
They later removed a gold chain, a pair of earrings and her wallet, containing Rs. 5,000, before pouring petrol and setting her body on fire.
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Meanwhile, Thimmamma’s husband, Venkataramana, a retired electrician, filed a missing complaint with the Mahalaksmi Layout police. Venkataramana stumbled upon CCTV footage from the bar and restaurant, which showed Thimmamma walking with Sheela.
Thimmamma’s family members asked Sheela who denied having seen her. The family members approached the police with the CCTV footage following which the police summoned Sheela for questioning. A detailed questioning revealed the murder.
The Mahalakshmi Layout police have set on a massive manhunt for Arun, who is on the run with the gold valuables.