Bengaluru is witnessing a rise in violence resulting from spurned love.
On Tuesday, a 28-year-old man stabbed his 25-year-old lover as many as 16 times after she refused to marry him following opposition from her parents.
The chilling murder played out soon after the woman, Leela Pavithra Nalamathi, walked out of her workplace — Omega Healthcare in Murugeshpalya, East Bengaluru — around 7.30 pm.
Her suitor and the alleged killer, Dinakar Banala, had been waiting outside her office. As soon as she walked out, he got into an argument with her and insisted that she marry him. When she spurned him, he pulled a knife from his trouser pocket and attacked her. He stabbed her in the neck, chest, abdomen, shoulder and other body parts. Police sources believe he stabbed her 16 times. She died on the spot. Police rushed to the crime scene soon after and arrested Banala.
Bheemashankar S Guled, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East), confirmed the incident and said that the woman was stabbed more than 10 times. “We will get the exact count after the post-mortem,” he added.
Leela was an MSc graduate from Jagannadhapuram in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. Banala is a native of Narasannapeta, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. He works for Logis Healthcare in Domlur and lives nearby as a paying guest.
The two got closer while working for a healthcare company five years ago and decided to get married. But Leela’s parents opposed the relationship because Banala belongs to a different caste. She heeded her parents’ advice and refused to marry him. She also avoided him. Banala was incensed and decided to confront her.
Police opened a case of murder against Banala and sent Leela’s body to Bowring Hospital for post-mortem, which will be performed once her family arrives.