Shylaja’s elder brother Umesh, a former employee of TVS Motors, showed the SMSes reportedly sent by Bharat to her on August 11 this year. Some of them read: “Call me, we will go to Garuda Mall,” “What time are you coming?” “Come to RO (regional office), we can go from here,” “Why are you busy?” etc.
Shylaja was married to Praveen, a businessman four years ago. The couple had parted ways because of some ‘misunderstanding.’ “My business was not doing well and she used to ask me to take it forward. Three months ago we mutually decided to file for divorce. The hearing was scheduled for February 2008,” said Praveen.  Shylaja had approached the State Women’s Commission’s chairperson and lawyer Pramila Nesargi for advice three months ago.
“I told her that if Praveen is also agreeable, then they can file for consent divorce. She was very disturbed. One evening she again visited me and told me about her harassment and that even Ing Vysya Bank’s national head Kamal Pasha had not been of help to her. She showed me Bharat’s messages; on one day he had sent her 10 messages,” said Ms Nesargi.
“On her birthday, on June 20, Bharat paid a surprise visit to our branch and later messaged her that he wanted to treat her. She was fed up.
Also, some people thought that we were in love with each other, which wasn’t true. We were just good friends and I was trying to help her,” said Prashanth.
Shyalaja’s last rites were performed at Banshankhari burial ground in the evening.