The police have arrested six people in connection with the death of an 83-year-old home-alone woman in sector 1 of HSR Layout in Bengaluru on August 13. Four among the accused were working as security guards at different locations in the city. “The four of them had called two others from their village in Nepal with the intention of committing robbery. Once they arrived in Bengaluru, this plan was hatched,” said Additional Commissioner (East) Dr A Subramanyeswara Rao.
The officer said that one of the accused, Kadak Singh, knew that the victim required a security guard as he worked in the same area. “Kadak Singh, along with the other accused, visited the victim Jayashree’s house to introduce themselves and seek employment as a security guard. They were able to gain her confidence, and she allowed them inside her home. Immediately, the accused began to rob her valuables from the cupboard. When she resisted, they murdered her and fled,” he explained.
The police have now recovered the stolen gold, jewellery and cash worth lakhs. A case has been registered under Sections 302 (punishment for murder), 397 (robbery with attempt to cause death), 449 (house trespass) of the IPC. Police sources said that one of the accused had fled Bengaluru on a private bus to Nepal, but was intercepted by the police at a highway toll gate near Kanpur.
Jayashree, a senior citizen and resident of Sector 1 of HSR Layout, had been living alone ever since the death of her husband, who was a senior government official. She lived in a two-story building with four houses. Three of those houses were given on rent, while she lived alone in the fourth house. She is survived by two sons, one of whom is settled abroad and another is residing in Lingarajapuram.
After the body was discovered by a tenant and the police were informed, the place was subsequently searched and the police sought the help of forensic experts to identify the accused. Five teams were formed to apprehend the suspects.
DCP South East CK Baba said, “All residents should practise due diligence by making sure that the background and behaviour of security persons are vetted by some agency. They must note down details such as name and phone number, and keep their family members informed of things. Extra focus should be kept in mind when you are hiring people who are not of Indian origin.”