In partner in Bengaluru, staging it as suicide

The Bengaluru police recently arrested a man for allegedly murdering a woman following a domestic quarrel and attempting to stage her death as a suicide.

The accused, identified as Ayyappa K B, 26, works as a supervisor at a dry fruit shop, while the victim, Ranjitha H G, 24, was employed at a D-Mart outlet.

Ranjitha, a native of Ponnampet in Kodagu district, was found dead at a rented house in the Kodathi area on Thursday.

The police said Ayyappa was already married but reportedly separated from his wife.

He allegedly promised to marry Ranjitha and convinced her to move toBengaluru.

The couple had been living together for nearly two months in a rented house.

According to investigators, the couple frequently argued after Ranjitha began insisting that Ayyappa divorce his wife and formally marry her.

During a heated argument late Thursday night, Ayyappa allegedly strangled Ranjitha with a wire, killing her on the spot.

He then attempted to stage the death as a suicide by hanging, informed the house owner, and later shifted the victim’s body to a hospital.

“He also informed the victim’s sister that she had died by suicide, which raised suspicions and prompted the victim’s family to file an FIR,” a police officer said.

Based on a complaint filed by Ranjitha’s mother, the police registered a case under Section 103 (punishment for murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The case was also booked under Section 3(1)(r) (intentional insult or intimidation to humiliate a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe in any place within public view), Section 3(1)(s) (abusing a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe by caste name in any place within public view), and Section 3(2)(V-a) (enhanced punishment for offences committed knowing that the victim belongs to an SC/ST community) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The accused, a native of T Shettigere village in Ponnampet taluk of Kodagu district, was taken into custody during the investigation.

“The accused has been arrested in connection with the case and produced before the court.

He has been remanded in judicial custody.

Further investigation is underway,” an officer with the Varthur police station said.

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