Bengaluru: Man arrested for murdering homemaker

Team Udayavani, Jan 12, 2024, 2:42 PM IST

The Electronic City police have successfully arrested Rajneesh Kumar (28), the prime suspect in the murder of Neelam (30) at Prabhakar Reddy Layout near Bettadasanpur. The victim, who was alone at home, was strangled to death, and the assailant made off with Rs 8,000 and a pair of earrings.

The crime took place on January 4, when Rajneesh Kumar, a resident of Electronic City, executed the murder and fled to Uttar Pradesh. The accused, originally from Amara village in Uttar Pradesh, had been residing in Bengaluru for five years, working as a painter.

Neelam’s husband, Pradyunma, employed Rajneesh for painting work, establishing a connection between the accused and the victim’s family. The accused had gained knowledge about the layout of the house, the presence of CCTV cameras, and the routines of the household during the days leading up to the crime.

On the day of the incident, Rajneesh entered Neelam’s house around noon, claiming he had not eaten. He then followed her to the kitchen and strangled her with a towel, looted Rs 8,000 from the cupboard. The assailant resorted to grabbing earrings from the deceased’s body before fleeing the scene.

To avoid detection, Rajneesh wore a shirt over a t-shirt and covered his face and head with a towel during the crime. After the act, he discarded the shirt and towel, walked for about two kilometers, and took an auto-rickshaw to Electronic City. From there, he traveled several kilometers before eventually escaping to Uttar Pradesh.

The breakthrough in the case came through an extensive examination of 850 CCTV cameras by Inspector G.M. Naveen and his team at Electronic City Station. The footage revealed the suspect changing clothes and acting suspiciously. Upon identifying Rajneesh, the police successfully arrested him.

The motive behind the murder appears to be a combination of professional jealousy and the belief that Neelam’s house contained a substantial amount of money. The preliminary investigation suggests that Rajneesh targeted the victim due to financial motives.

DCP C. K. Baba from the South East Division has provided these details, shedding light on the circumstances leading to the arrest of the accused in connection with Neelam’s tragic homicide.