Teen neighbour kills 34-year-old Bengaluru techie after she rejects sexual advances

A week after a 34-year-old software engineer was found dead in her rented Bengaluru apartment, police have arrested her 18-year-old neighbour, stating the death was a premeditated murder disguised as an accidental fire.

The victim, identified as Sharmila DK, an Accenture employee, was found dead on January 3 in her house at Subramanya Layout, Ramamurthy Nagar. Investigators initially believed she had died of suffocation following a fire, possibly caused by an electrical short circuit, and registered an Unnatural Death Report.

The case took a turn after forensic and technical evidence raised doubts about the cause of the fire. Police said scientific analysis indicated the blaze was deliberately set to destroy evidence, prompting a deeper probe into people living nearby.

Investigators zeroed in on the victim’s neighbour, Karnal Kurai, 18, who allegedly confessed during questioning. Police said he entered the woman’s house around 9 pm through a sliding window with the intent of seeking sexual favours. When she resisted, he allegedly covered her mouth and nose, causing her to lose consciousness during a struggle that resulted in bleeding injuries.

Police said the accused then placed the victim’s clothes and other materials on the mattress and set them on fire before fleeing with her mobile phone. He has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections related to murder, sexual offences and destruction of evidence, and further investigation is ongoing.