His was a love story that touched even rational police officers. So much so, that a special cake was ordered at the Ashok Nagar police station on July 2 for Agneeshwar alias Amanulla to cheer him up on his first wedding anniversary. He is in jail now in connection with the murder of a 70-year-old NRI who allegedly misbehaved with his wife Prema and will be chargesheeted shortly.

Agneeshwar had been desperately saving money to celebrate his wedding anniversary with Prema. But destiny had other plans.

Here’s a small backgrounder on this pair: Thirtyone-year-old Amanullah, a postgraduate in Tamil literature and a resident of Velachery in Chennai was in love with Prema, an MCA student who lived in a neighbouring hostel. She belonged to a well-to-do family, but was afflicted by polio during her childhood. Their inter-religious match guaranteed opposition from both sides. So the two came to Bangalore a year ago, to start life afresh.

According to police sources, Amanulla rechristened himself as Agneeshwar. Prema, a Mudaliar girl, who enjoyed non-vegetarian food became a vegetarian for his sake. Poverty was their companion during the early days until Prema found a job as a quality analyser at a software company in the City.

They lived in a rented house on the fifth floor in Garvebavipalya, under Madivala police station limits.  “What is heartwarming is that Agneeshwar used to carry her down the five floors as she left for work and carry her up when she returned,” says a police source. “She is my child,” was a statement he often uttered, adds the source.
Life took a turn for the worse on June 19 when the duo bumped into Ali Mohammad Khan, who introduced himself as an NRI doctor from the UK. He had worked as a project manager from Air Force of Arabia and resided at Shantinagar, police later found out. The pair was seated inside a car near Big Bazaar on Double Road. Khan claimed to have enough knowledge to cure Prema of polio and was allowed to examine her. He used the occasion to indulge in “highly inappropriate” behaviour.

Khan called up Prema that night and told her he would visit their flat the next day to treat her. But after Prema left for work, Agneeshwar met Khan near St John’s Hospital and brought him to his flat in the latter’s car.
During the course of their chat, when Agneeshwar asked Khan about his medical credentials, he got angry and tried to assault Agneeshwar using a kitchen knife. However, the latter was able to defend himself and strangulated the fake doctor with a nylon rope. He also dumped the body in the deceased’s car, which the police found later.

Agneeshwar hid this incident from his wife and accompanied her to Chennai to call on her ailing father. But the Bangalore police tracked him down.

Prema is still in Chennai. Ashamed, he contemplated suicide, but the thought of leaving his wife without anybody to support, held him back.

 “This is a touching case,” said ACP, Halasuru Gate, B B Ashok Kumar, who investigated the case along with Central Crime Branch. “However, we have carried out a fair investigation. It was the inappropriate and deceitful conduct of the NRI which resulted in the murder. Agneeshwar is likely to be charged under Sec 201 of IPC for concealment of murder and Sec 302 for murder,” he said.

While Agneeshwar cut his anniversary cake without Prema, the unusual gesture by the police overwhelmed him and he is said to have remarked, ‘I never thought police will be like this’. The police, meanwhile, is trying to get Prema’s company to transfer her to Chennai so her family can take care of her.

Who says the City Police does not have a human face?
S L