<p>Bengaluru: The Cottonpet police have cracked the murder and robbery of a woman at her house in western Bengaluru, and arrested one of her relatives and his friend in the case, police officials said on Thursday.</p><p>The arrested suspects — who investigators identified as Purandar, 42, a relative of the victim, Latha, and his friend Shivappa, 35 — allegedly committed the crime after losing money in a scam. All three, including the victim, are from Bidar.</p> .<p>The two suspects worked as electricians at a private pharmaceutical company in Bidar, the police said.</p><p>“Preliminary investigation has revealed that the two suspects lost cash in a rice-pulling scam and hence, required money,” a senior officer said.</p><p>The police said that on May 26, the two arrived at Latha’s home in PS Lane, Cottonpet. Since Purandar occasionally visited her, she let them in and served them breakfast.</p> .<p>Investigations revealed that Latha was strangled, as there were no murder weapons found at the crime scene. Since no weapons were used, the police suspect it may not have been a premeditated murder.</p><p>“They fled with around 100 grams of gold and Rs 1.50 lakh in cash,” an investigator said. “Investigations revealed that they arrived in Bengaluru the same morning by a KSRTC bus from Bidar and headed straight to the victim’s house.”</p><p>Latha’s body was discovered near the kitchen by her husband, Prakash S Mehtre, when he returned home around 2 pm. Mehtre, 55, owns an apparel store in Upparpet.</p> .<p>The couple had been residing in Bengaluru for more than a decade. They have a daughter who works in a private company and a son studying in high school.</p><p>“The circumstances of the murder will have to be reconstructed to understand what actually transpired between the suspects and Latha at the house before the murder,” an officer added.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Cottonpet police have cracked the murder and robbery of a woman at her house in western Bengaluru, and arrested one of her relatives and his friend in the case, police officials said on Thursday.</p><p>The arrested suspects — who investigators identified as Purandar, 42, a relative of the victim, Latha, and his friend Shivappa, 35 — allegedly committed the crime after losing money in a scam. All three, including the victim, are from Bidar.</p> .<p>The two suspects worked as electricians at a private pharmaceutical company in Bidar, the police said.</p><p>“Preliminary investigation has revealed that the two suspects lost cash in a rice-pulling scam and hence, required money,” a senior officer said.</p><p>The police said that on May 26, the two arrived at Latha’s home in PS Lane, Cottonpet. Since Purandar occasionally visited her, she let them in and served them breakfast.</p> .<p>Investigations revealed that Latha was strangled, as there were no murder weapons found at the crime scene. Since no weapons were used, the police suspect it may not have been a premeditated murder.</p><p>“They fled with around 100 grams of gold and Rs 1.50 lakh in cash,” an investigator said. “Investigations revealed that they arrived in Bengaluru the same morning by a KSRTC bus from Bidar and headed straight to the victim’s house.”</p><p>Latha’s body was discovered near the kitchen by her husband, Prakash S Mehtre, when he returned home around 2 pm. Mehtre, 55, owns an apparel store in Upparpet.</p> .<p>The couple had been residing in Bengaluru for more than a decade. They have a daughter who works in a private company and a son studying in high school.</p><p>“The circumstances of the murder will have to be reconstructed to understand what actually transpired between the suspects and Latha at the house before the murder,” an officer added.</p>
