Serial killers arrested

The two male killers were targeting women in Tumkur and Bangalore limits to satisfy their lust, and for gold and money.

Thirthahalli taluk’s Tenkabayalu resident Prema and her nephew Raghavendra are the two arrested. The other killer Thirthahalli taluk’s Tudaki village resident Sundaresh is absconding.

The district’s rural sub division police and the special squad arrested the killers on Sunday.

Three murders in the district and the eight in other parts of the State have been detected, said IGP Kamal Panth at a press conference on Monday.

The victims are Varalakshmi, Gangamma, Nagamma, Latha, Lakshmidevi and Nethra. The names of the remaining five women have still not been established. All were residents of Bangalore and Nelamangala.

Raghavendra and Sundaresh would pick up these women in a van from Majestic, Anchepalya and R T Nagar. After serving liquor laced with sleeping tablets to these women, they would satisfy their lust and strangle them. They would dispose of the bodies in ponds and lakes.

Prema who was involved in running a flesh trade cooperated with the killers.

The first to become a victim was a woman who disappeared on February 24, 2010 from Majestic area in Bangalore. The 11th victim was Bangalore’s Vijayanagar resident Nethra who was killed on December 12, 2010. The serial killers had adopted the same method to kill all the victims.