Police find flower vendor’s head crushed; suspect youth

A 45-year-old flower vendor was found bludgeoned to death at her house at Doddakallasandra near Subramanyapura on Wednesday.

Foul smell emanated from the highly decomposed body when the police broke open the door of her house. They found the woman's head crushed and blood splattered on the wall.

The woman, Bhagyamma, was a flower vendor at the bus stand near KS Layout. A native of Mavalli, Bhagyamma lived alone. It is suspected she must have been killed sometime on Sunday.

The police said her husband had died 25 years ago and her son also died of jaundice a year before.

Hawkers who sell flowers with Bhagyamma were alarmed on not seeing her for the past three days. They contacted Bhagyamma's relatives, who said her phone had been switched off.

On receiving information, the Subramanyapura police broke open Bhagyamma's house as their calls went without any response.

They are questioning her neighbours and are probing a recent quarrel that Bhagyamma had with a group of youngsters living next door over the nuisance they used to create in the neighbourhood.