'House hunter' arrested for murder of home-alone woman

Bommanahalli police have arrested two people in the killing of a home-alone woman in Muneshwara Layout, Kodichikkanahalli, and recovered the jewellery robbed from her.

The arrested are Kerala native and Bommanahalli resident Ansari and fellow Keralite Pradeep, who also resides in Bengaluru.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Srinath M Joshi said unknown assailants killed Nirmala Mary at her residence on December 3 by hitting her head multiple times with a metal object and stole jewellery and other valuables from her house.

During the investigation, Bommanahalli police found that Ansari had visited Mary's house on December 2 pretending to house-hunt and asked her about people living in the building. On learning that she lived alone, Ansari returned the next day, killed her and disposed of the jewellery taken from the house with Pradeep’s help.

Police said Ansari had been committing crimes from his teens and was arrested as a juvenile. Growing up, he committed various crimes depending on the opportunities coming his way, police said. Ansari and Pradeep are involved in 20 cases in Kerala and were arrested many times. They continued their criminal life in Bengaluru. Further investigations are on.