Lover boy turns techie's wife's murderer

Accused wanted to be professional killers; phone details helps crack the case

Love, sex and betrayal.This forms the murder mystery that was unravelled by the police on Saturday.

Ashwini J (23) daughter of Dr Jagannathachar and resident of J P Nagar in the city was found murdered at her house on August 7, with stab wounds.

Acting on the leads, a police team lead by ACP (Krishnaraja sub-division) A N Prakash Gowda has arrested Raghu and Shekar, accused and relatives, hailing from Lalitadripura in the city. Prime accused in the case Raghu was the victim’s lover.

Addressing media on the premises of Vidyaranyapuram police station, police commissioner K L Sudheer said Raghu deceived the victim under the pretext of love. The victim had married Sunil Kumar a software engineer in Bangalore two years ago.

However, the relationship lasted a month with Ashwini walking out on her husband, owing to some differences. Since then she was living with her parents, at the house near police booth in J P Nagar.

The commissioner said, Ashwini who had joined computer classes a few months ago, came in contact with Raghu through a common friend Ravi.

It didn’t take much time for Ashwini to fall in love with Raghu. But it wasn’t the same with Raghu who didn’t want to be in the relation for the only reason that the girl was obese. It was at this juncture, Shekar advised Raghu to continue at least for the sake of money.

Raghu and Shekar had strong aspirations to be professional killers to make some fast bucks. It was at that time, Ashwini came in contact with Raghu.

Ashwini who was unaware of Raghu’s plans, was head over heel in love with him. She had also told her father that she was in love with a boy and has plans to marry him after divorcing her husband.

However, she had introduced him (Raghu) to her mother, as a friend when Raghu had gone to her house once.

Ashwini who had also discussed her marriage plans with Raghu wanted to settle with the latter with the settlement of Rs five lakh she receives after the divorce.

On August 6, soon after Ashwini’s parents left for Chitradurga, Raghu and Shekar went to her house. Raghu introduced Shekar as his friend and Ashwini saw a brother in him, as told by the accused to investigators during interrogation.

When Ashwini’s maternal aunt comes for a overnight stay for the former being all alone at home, Ashwini spikes her milk with an overdose of sleeping pills. On the other hand, Ashwini has physical intimacy with her lover.

Strangely, when her aunt wakes up from sleep following day, least she had an inkling of what was happening. She leaves the house.

Ashwini treats her lover and his friend with sumptuous meals with mutton as the special dish for lunch. Unaware of the fate to befall on her, she agrees to be blindfolded when Raghu says her to do so.

“I have a special gift for you”, said Raghu covering her eyes with a piece of cloth, recalled the police chief quoting the accused.

Shock was in store for Ashwini, when Shekar who will be waiting outside the room to attack her barges into the room and joins Raghu in smothering her with a pillow. When Ashwini resists, Shekar pulls out a knife and stabs in her throat.

Subsequently, the two decamp with the jewellery worth Rs five lakh belonging to the victim.

Acting on their information, the police have also arrested their accomplices Kumar and Yogesh, who had similar plans to strike elsewhere.

The police team comprised Inspectors Harish Kumar (Vidyaranyapuram), N S Chandrashekar (Saraswatipuram) and K N Yashwant Kumar (Kuvempunagar), and sub-inspector Parashuram, SI Prabhuswamy among others.