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Bengaluru: An unmarried couple was found dead after a fire broke out in their lodge room in Yelahanka New Town on Thursday, with the police suspecting it to be a case of suicide.
The deceased have been identified as Kaveri (24) from Hungund in Bagalkot district and Ramesh Bandivaddar (25) from Gajendragad in Gadag district. The two had checked into the lodge on Thursday afternoon.
Around 5 pm, a fire broke out in their room and quickly spread. Kaveri reportedly called room service to report the blaze. The lodge staff alerted the fire force and tried to break open the door, which was locked from inside.
When they entered, Ramesh was found charred to death, while Kaveri lay unconscious in the washroom. She was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead. The police said she likely died of asphyxiation.
The Yelahanka New Town police have registered a case of suspicious death and are awaiting the post-mortem report to determine the exact cause.
A police officer said the lodge had six rooms, and though the fire spread to the nearby rooms, no one else was injured. The Scene of Crime (SOCO) and forensic teams are investigating the cause of the blaze.
Preliminary inquiries suggest that the two were in a relationship, but faced opposition from their families.
The police suspect Ramesh may have poured petrol and set the room ablaze, while Kaveri ran into the washroom in a desperate attempt to escape the flames, but passed out.