Bengaluru, March 2 A man with stab wounds was found dead in his rented house here, and three people, including a woman with whom he was in a relationship, were arrested in connection with the murder, police said on Monday.
The deceased, identified as Mohan Rao, was in his 40s. He was involved in pig farming, financing two-wheelers, and some small-scale business activities, they said.
The incident occurred on February 27 at Manjunath Nagar, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Bagalagunte police station, police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Nagesh D L said, "When we visited the spot and conducted an inspection, we found that someone had murdered him (Rao) and left the body there. A murder case was registered, and an investigation was launched."
During the investigation, it came to light that three people were involved in the murder — a woman identified as Bindu, and her associates Vinay and Dhanush Gowda.
"Accordingly, all three have been arrested and taken into custody. Further investigation is underway," he said.
Citing preliminary investigation, the officer said that about two to three months ago, Rao and Bindu had told the house owner that they were a couple. However, they were not husband and wife but were living together.
"Rao had left his wife and had been living alone for a long time. At the same time, the woman (Bindu) had also been married earlier and was living separately from her husband. So both of them came together and took a house for rent," he said.
Later, Bindu developed a close friendship with Vinay, and the two decided to get married.
It is said that Rao was creating obstacles to their marriage and was forcing the woman to stay with him, the officer said.
With the intention of "teaching him a lesson" and putting an end to the issue, the three allegedly conspired and committed the crime, he added.
"It is learnt that they (accused) made him consume alcohol at night, then stabbed him with a knife and also suffocated him by covering his mouth and nose with plastic, thereby committing the murder," DCP Nagesh said in a video statement.
Bindu claims that she has completed LLB, but that needs to be verified. She also claims to have acted in some short videos or movies, but police said they do not have proper information yet.
Responding to questions, the DCP said Vinay is a lorry driver who became acquainted with Bindu, and the two decided to get married. Since Rao was allegedly obstructing their marriage, he was murdered for that reason.
Gowda, described as a friend known to Bindu, was also involved in the crime. He was reportedly working at a restaurant, he said.
Police said Bindu had called Gowda over the phone seeking help, following which he joined the other two in committing the crime. Further investigation is underway.