BENGALURU: The Subramanyapura police have arrested a former car driver in connection with the murder of senior geologist Prathima at her house on Saturday night. The accused reportedly admitted to the crime and said that he killed Prathima out of revenge for removing him from his job.
City Police Commissioner B Dayananda said, “We have taken the former car driver Kiran custody. After the incident, Kiran had fled to Chamarajanagar and the police secured him from Male Mahadeshwara Hills. He had switched offf his phone and was absconding”.
He further said, “The accused Kiran was a car driver and was said to be working on contract basis. He had been working for the past four years. Kiran was fired from his job just a 10 days ago. On the ground of suspicion, the police have taken Kiran into custody and started an investigation”.
Kiran’s father Suresh was also a driver in the same department. According to sources, there was some resentment between Prathima and the car driver over an accident involving her official vehicle and he was fired from the job. Angered by this, he murdered to exact revenge, the police commissioner said.
The Mines and Geology Department had given her a new Mahindra Bolero car a month ago, but Kiran was involved in an accident while driving the vehicle. He had parked the car near the office, handed over the key to the security security guard and fled. When he did not return to work, Prathima appointed a new car driver who was known to her. The accident had apparently become a sticking point between Kiran and Prathima.
According to sources, on Saturday night, Kiran requested Prathima to re-appoint him as her car driver, but she did not agree. She had also warned him not to reveal about the raids conducted by the department which she was part of.
Preliminary investigation also revealed that Kiran used to claim to be a government employee and got married by convincing his wife’s parents that he had a government job. Kiran’s wife left him after he was fired from the job. On Saturday, Kiran decided that he should do something to get back to work or kill Prathima. When she refused to take him back as her car driver, he took a knife from her kitchen and slit her throat. He also took Rs 15,000 in cash from her purse, threw the knife near JP Nagar and went to Male Mahadeshwara Hills with two of his friends.
The Subramanyapura police have seized Prathima’s mobile phone as part of the investigation. At the time of the murder, Prathima’s mobile phone was found near the door of the house. But since the phone was locked, the police have sent it to the technical cell to unlock it after which they will check the call records and call duration.
There are more than 20 houses on the road where Prathima’s rented house is located, but only three CCTVs are installed. The police have collected CCTV footage as part of the investigation.
Earlier, Home minister Dr G Parameshwara, speaking about murder case of senior geologist, said, “The police are actively pursuing the case and intensified the investigation. The police got a tip-off regarding the murder and based on that, they are proceeding with the investigation. Everything will be known later. Once the accused is arrested, everything will come out”.
He lashed out on BJP’s tweet on the Prathima murder case and said BJP will get to know whether the Home Minister is working or not in the state.