Police arrest prime suspect in JP Nagar double murder

The Jayanagar sub-division police on Sunday arrested the prime suspect in the murder of  an elderly couple in JP Nagar.

A senior police officer told Deccan Herald that the special team took three people into custody for inquiry on Saturday night and arrested one of them — Guruprasad — a resident of Kadirenahalli.

“We are interrogating two others to gather more information and will arrest them by Monday. We have recovered a gold chain and cash which were stolen from the house, from Guruprasad and his associates. Another suspect is still at large,” he said.

 The officer refused to divulge further details and described all four men as being in their early twenties and employed as sump cleaners. They were residents of Kadirenahalli and Kanakapur Road and are first time offenders. They murdered the couple to make a fast buck.

Guruprasad and three of his friends had taken up sump-cleaning work at buildings in JP Nagar.

A neighbour had introduced Guruprasad to Venkateshaiah, one of the victims, a week ago as he wanted his sump cleaned.

The four suspects agreed to take up the work and soon discovered that the couple lived alone and had money. The cleaning job turned into a plan for a deadly theft. Police said that Guruprasad hatched a conspiracy with others to murder the couple.

For the first three days, the men followed the routine of the elderly couple and observed where the valuables were kept.

Swarnamba, wife of Venkateshaiah, offered them food and coffee. The four, however, decided to murder the couple on Sunday night. They postponed the plan to Monday, police said.

The suspects came to the house around 11 am on Monday. After working on the sump for some time, they went inside and locked the door from within.

Taking great care to ensure that neighbours are not alerted by the noise, the gang attacked the couple and smothered them. Then, they took a gold chain and searched for other valuables.

According to police, the four then exited the house through the rear door and locked it from outside. Police also suspect the involvement of the domestic help in the crime. She may have known the suspects and is being questioned, they added.