Dead Bengaluru businessman prime suspect in lecturer’s murder

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Bengaluru : A 45-year-old businessman who was found dead on Sunday at a railway track in Ramanagara district in a suspected case of suicide is being considered the prime suspect in the murder of a 40-year-old guest lecturer in Doddaballapura, police said on Tuesday. Accident or crime scene cordon tape, police line do not cross. It is nighttime, emergency lights of police cars flashing blue, red and white in the background (Getty Images/iStockphoto)The lecturer was found dead inside the charred wreck of a car in an isolated spot near the Bashetty Industrial Area on May 2, said inspector Sadik Pasha with the Doddaballapura Rural Police station. A day later, the body of the businessman was found on a railway track near Bidadi, added the officer. “Upon verification, it was confirmed to be the murder suspect,” Pasha said. Investigators said they suspected that the murder stemmed from a personal dispute, adding that the probe revealed that the lecturer and the businessman were in an extra-marital relationship with each other. They added that the sequence of events suggested a pre-meditated crime. “He was found to have borrowed the car earlier, citing a medical emergency,” said Pasha. Investigators said tensions had arisen after the man allegedly pressured the lecturer to marry him, which she declined. “Personal disputes appear to be the primary motive, but we are probing all angles,” Pasha said. Police said that the couple went on a long drive to the Nandi Hills and surrounding areas before reaching the secluded location where the charred wreck was found. “Prima facie, it appears the accused tried to mislead investigators by torching the car,” added the inspector. A case was registered based on a complaint filed by the lecturer’s husband. Police said further probe is underway to establish the full sequence of events and gather more evidence.