Sharing personal details with strangers cost an elderly couple their lives. Three persons have been arrested in the brutal murder of the couple on August 6 in their home in JP Nagar 1st phase.
The police have arrested Guru Prasad (21), a resident of Kadirenahalli in Banshankari who was working as a welder, Nitesh Kumar (21), a resident of Kadirenahalli, working as a helper in a private company and Syed Salman (19), a resident of R R Nagar, a daily wage worker. The main accused, Guru Prasad, was introduced to Mr Venkateshaiah (74) by one of his neighbours, since Mr Venkateshaiah wanted to get his water sump cleaned. Guru Prasad met the couple and took an advance of `3,000. That evening, Mr Venkateshaiah's wife Swarnamba (68) offered Guru Prasad some tea and snacks and had a friendly chat with him, during which she revealed that the couple had no kids and were living alone.
On August 6, Guru Prasad came to the couple's flat with a drilling machine and other machinery he needed and set to work in the portico. The front door was locked but not the back door. Guru Prasad entered form the back door and was joined by his two associates. They overpowered the couple, assaulted them, and suffocated them with a pillow. They took jewellery and other valuables and left by the back door, locking it from the outside and tossing the keys into the bedroom through an open window.
The crime was discovered four days later when a foul smell alerted the neighbours who informed the police. The assailants, however, left behind clues that made it easy to track them. Guru Prasad had done some cement work near the sump and entered the house wearing footwear that had cement dust on it. During questioning, he revealed the names of the other two and by August 12 all the accused were arrested. The police have recovered the stolen gold ornaments from their possession, including a gold chain, bangles, and earrings worth Rs 7 lakh. A Pulsar bike and a Maruti car that were used to commit the murder in the getaway were also found. The accused are in the custody of police, who are investigating if they are first time offenders.