Representative image for arrest.
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: The Bengaluru police on Thursday announced the arrest of a 51-year-old widow for allegedly murdering a transgender, who has been living with her for 20 years.
Police picked up the suspect, Prema, from Hassan’s Channarayapatna on May 8.
She has been charged with the murder of 42-year-old Manju Naik alias Manji Naik, according to an FIR filed at the Jeevan Bima Nagar police station.
Police found Naik’s body in a decomposed state at a house in Murugeshpalya, East Bengaluru, on May 3.
The investigators sent the body for post-mortem and filed an unnatural death report after they found no proof of any
foul play.
However, the post-mortem report revealed that the death was due to strangulation, prompting the police to take a complaint from Naik’s brother.
Subsequently, the first FIR was changed, invoking murder charges.
Police learned that the deceased stayed with Prema, and subsequently arrested her. Investigators said that she confessed to strangling Naik on April 26 late at night and fleeing.
An investigating officer told DH that Prema and Naik have been staying in Murugeshpalya for the last four years and often fought, especially after a couple of drinks. The murder was allegedly committed after one such altercation on April 26.
According to the officer, Prema and Naik stayed together in Nelamangala before moving to Murugeshpalya.
When they first met, they both worked at a quarry.
After Prema’s husband passed away, she started living with Naik.
They moved to Bengaluru after Naik got a job as a helper on a contract basis at Isro. Prema started to work as a house help.