Bengaluru: Couple held for murder after 'road accident' turns out to be deliberate hit

Suspects were enraged after scooter brushed against their car, damaging its rearview mirror

Bengaluru: The death of a 24-year-old man in Bengaluru, initially believed to be a road accident, has turned out to be a murder, with police arresting a married couple in connection with the case. 

Puttenahalli police have arrested the couple -- Manoj Kumar, 34, and Arathi Sharma, 30 -- from Gottigere for the murder of Darshan N, 24, a delivery executive from Uttarahalli. 

Kumar is a Kalaripayattu instructor while Sharma is a homemaker. 

Police investigations showed that the killing followed a minor collision that damaged the couple's car mirror. 

On October 25, the JP Nagar traffic police initially registered the case as a road accident after Darshan died of head injuries. His friend, Varun G, 24, who was riding pillion, had sustained injuries. 

The accident occurred around 11.35 pm at Srirama Layout in JP Nagar, 7th Phase. 

However, a review of the CCTV footage during the probe showed Kumar and Arathi "dangerously" chasing the victim's scooter in their car and deliberately ramming into it with the intent to cause severe bodily harm. 

The video, accessed by DH, shows the speeding car — a hatchback —  ploughing into the scooter, throwing the riders off. 

"The suspects later returned to the accident scene wearing masks and collected broken parts of their car to destroy evidence," said Lokesh B Jagalasar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South). 

Convinced that it was an intentional hit, the higher-ups transferred the case to the Puttenahalli police, who arrested the couple. 

Further investigation found that the couple was returning home after servicing their car when the victims rode up in their scooter in the opposite direction, brushing against the car's right rearview mirror. A heated argument followed, and the couple chased the duo down and rammed into their scooter. 

Police have booked the couple under BNS sections 103(1) (punishment for murder), 109 (attempted murder), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) and 324(5) (mischief).