Love rivalry: Auto driver pushed before train in Bengaluru; dies

Bengaluru: A quarrel over a love affair ended in the gruesome murder of a 26-year-old auto driver, who was pushed before a moving train in Mahadevapura late on Sunday.

The police identified the victim as Ismail, a resident of Vijayapura. They arrested the accused, 24-year-old Pratap from Chitradurga, along with another friend, Puneeth.

Investigations revealed that Pratap and Puneeth shared a residence in Bengaluru.

Recently, Puneeth had invited Ismail to the city, where he, too, began working as an auto driver. Tensions grew when Pratap suspected Ismail of frequently speaking with Puneeth’s girlfriend, leading to repeated quarrels.

On Sunday night, Pratap and Puneeth were drinking near the railway tracks at Doddanekundi when Ismail arrived.

A fight broke out just as a train approached. The police said that Ismail attempted to push Pratap, but he escaped. Pratap retaliated by shoving Ismail directly onto the tracks, killing him instantly.

In a bid to mislead investigators, Pratap allegedly placed the body on the track and fabricated a story that Ismail had died while attempting to shoot a social media reel.

The Baiyappanahalli railway police have registered a case and arrested Pratap and Puneeth.