A 21-year-old nurse was killed at the KSRTC bus stand in Bantwal's BC Road on Thursday, July 16, evening. Police said the accused, who allegedly had been stalking the woman for a while, attacked her with a sword in full public view before fleeing the scene.
The victim has been identified as Lavanya from Kodange near Kakyapadavu in Dakshina Kannada district. She worked as a nurse at a private clinic in Kalladka and was returning home after work when the incident occurred.
Police identified the stalker as Chetan, a distant relative of the victim from Odilnala in Belthangady.
According to the police, Lavanya boarded a KSRTC bus bound for Kakyapadavu at the BC Road bus stand. Chetan, who had allegedly been waiting nearby in a car, boarded the same bus after she had taken her seat.
When the accused allegedly pulled out a sword from a bag while inside the bus, Lavanya attempted to escape by getting down from the vehicle and running through the bus stand. However, Chetan chased her and allegedly struck her on the back of her neck with the weapon in front of commuters and bystanders.
Bystanders rushed her to the Bantwal Government Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
After the attack, the accused allegedly abandoned the weapon at the bus stand and fled in his car. A video of the assault, which has since circulated widely on social media, shows the accused attacking the woman before running away, leaving the weapon behind.
The Bantwal Town police have registered a murder case and launched a search for the accused. Superintendent of Police Arun said special teams have been formed to trace him.
Police said the preliminary investigation indicates that the attack was linked to the accused's alleged obsession with the victim. However, they added that the exact motive and the circumstances leading to the murder are still under investigation.
