Tara Prabhu, the 40-year-old homemaker murdered in Central Bengaluru  last week, was killed by her lover when she demanded that he repay Rs 11.8 lakh she had lent him, the Commercial Street police said.  

Gopinath, the 35-year-old suspect, told the police that Tara had threatened to inform his wife about their affair, besides filing a rape complaint against him if he failed to repay the money.

Tara's decomposed body was found in her mother Sarala's home on  Sangam Road near Commercial Street on Monday. Police believe she was murdered three or four days earlier.  

Gopinath was a friend of Tara's husband Prabhu Kumar, a small-time moneylender. He had gone to their home for the first time  in January 2016. Kumar introduced him to Tara and their children. As time passed by, Gopinath and Tara became friends and started an affair.

Gopinath borrowed  Rs 11.8 lakh from Tara but failed to repay it in time.  

On December 29, 2017, Tara invited Gopinath over to her  mother's house. Once he arrived, she told him she urgently needed money to release some jewellery she had pledged with a pawnbroker. She asked him to return the money. Gopinath  sought some time, saying he didn't have any money right then.  

But Tara had  no patience to listen to him and told him that if he failed to return the money, she would file a rape case against him besides informing his wife and relatives about their  illicit relationship.

Sensing that she was adamant, he decided to kill her.  He  smothered her with a pillow, slit her throat and locked the door from outside and fled the spot, according to the police.