Man runs over, kills Bengaluru techie who refused to fetch him cigarettes

Bengaluru: A software professional was killed and his friend injured by a man who ran them over in his car after they refused to fetch him cigarettes in South Bengaluru, officials said on Saturday.

The deceased is Sanjay H N, 29, and his friend is Chetan Pujamath, 30. Both were software professionals with different firms and worked from home, police said. The Subramanyapura police have arrested Pratheek H, 32, who worked as a sales manager at a maida factory in Magadi Road, on charges of murder.

According to the police, on May 10, at around 3.50 am, Sanjay and Pujamath left to have dinner after a late night work from home shift. They reached the Konanakunte Cross at around 4.10 am on their Yamaha R15 motorcycle and stopped to drink tea at a stall run by an elderly woman.

When they were drinking tea, Pratheek reached the stall in his Hyundai Creta car. He was accompanied by his wife, and they were returning home to RR Nagar after attending a birthday party.

Investigations revealed that Pratheek called Pujamath and asked him to fetch cigarettes. Pujamath sternly refused. This prompted Pratheek to get out of his car and confront Pujamath. While Pratheek was hurling abuses at Pujamath, Sanjay intervened and pushed him away.

Meanwhile, Pratheek’s wife got out of the car and dragged him back inside. At the same time, Pratheek abused the duo and threatened them that he wouldn’t let them be.

A few moments later, Sanjay rode away on his motorbike while Pujamath was riding pillion. When they attempted a U-turn on Kanankapura main road, Pratheek, who was driving the car, sped towards them and crashed into them.

The impact led to Pujamath falling on the bonnet of the car and sustaining minor injuries. Meanwhile, Sanjay crashed into a nearby medical shop and fell on the footpath with severe injuries to his head, the FIR noted. While Pratheek fled, Pujamath managed to move his friend Sanjay to the hospital.

“Sanjay died a few days later,” said Lokesh B Jagalasar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South). “The attempt to murder case has been converted to a murder case. The arrested suspect has been produced before a court.”