Ex-lover behind murder of call centre employee, her son in Bengaluru

An affair gone sour was behind the recent murder of a 33-year-old call centre employee and her 11-year-old son in northwestern Bengaluru, police say. Contrary to initial surmise, the suspect is the woman's former lover.

Navanitha was found lying in a pool of blood with a knife in her right hand at her rented home in Ravindra Nagar, T Dasarahalli, on September 5. Her son, Sai Srujan, was found strangled. The family hailed from Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district. Navanitha's second son, Sai Abhishek, stays in a hostel.

Navanitha

Navanitha's mother, Lakshmi M, had stated in her police complaint that her estranged son-in-law, Chandra KN, could be behind the diabolic murders. According to her, Chandra often got drunk and quarrelled with her daughter. He had even threatened to kill her.

Police investigations, however, showed Chandra hadn't visited Bengaluru of late.

Police scanned CCTV footage and mobile phone networks active in Ravindra Nagar late on Monday night. The search led them to Shekhappa alias Shekharappa, 29, an electrician, originally from Gadag district.

Police discovered that Shekhappa, who worked at an office in Jalahalli, was in a relationship with Navanitha and occasionally visited her. But the relationship soon ran into rough weather, and Navanitha spurned him. But he continued stalking her.

The situation was aggravated by Shekhappa's suspicion that she had gotten close to another man. He quarrelled with her often, but she sternly warned him against meddling in her personal life.

Shekhappa

On the night of September 4, Shekhappa arrived at Navanitha's house and forced his way in. He got into an argument with her, pulled a knife and stabbed her. He strangled Srujan when he screamed for help, according to the Bagalagunte police.