Bangladeshi woman, staying illegally in Bengaluru, found raped and murdered

Najma worked as a house help at an apartment in Kalkere. The jurisdictional Ramamurthy Nagar police have visited a spot to begin the investigation.

Bengaluru: A 28-year-old woman from Bangladesh, who had been living in Bengaluru illegally, was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered, the police said on Friday.

The victim, identified as Najma, was found dead at the Kalkere lake bed in Ramamurthy Nagar on Friday morning.

Investigators said that Najma did not possess legal documents or a passport and had entered India illegally.

“Based on her husband’s statements, it was confirmed that she had no legal documents. Her brother, who also resides in the city, corroborated this information,” a senior police officer told DH.

Najma’s husband, Suman, works as a garbage segregator for the city corporation. Unlike Najma, Suman entered India legally six years ago and holds valid documents, including a Bangladesh passport. The couple’s three children live with relatives in Bangladesh.

Najma, employed as a house help at an apartment in Kalkere, lived with her husband in Ramakrishna Layout, Kothanur, near her workplace. She went missing on Thursday evening after leaving the apartment where she worked. She had informed her husband that she was heading to work.

On Friday morning, the police received an emergency alert from a passerby who discovered Najma’s body in a deserted area near Kalkere Lake. The victim had visible injuries to her skull and face, and strangulation marks around her neck, indicating a violent attack.

The jurisdictional Ramamurthy Nagar police visited the scene with crime scene (SOCO) teams and forensic experts to gather evidence. “The victim sustained severe injuries, possibly from a boulder, and we are awaiting the autopsy report to determine the extent of the sexual assault,” an investigator said.

The Ramamurthy Nagar police have registered a case and have launched a manhunt to trace the suspect.