17-year-old girl, her friends strangle mother, hang her with saree in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: In a horrific incident reported from Uttarahalli, South Bengaluru, a teenager and her friends killed her 34-year-old mother and staged it as a suicide by hanging her in their home.
The case, initially thought to be a suicide, took a turn when the 17-year-old girl returned to her grandmother's home and attempted to fabricate a story. However, her aunt grew suspicious and alerted the police, who later got her to confess, as reported by the Times of India on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Netravathi, a resident of 6th Main Road near Circle Maramma Temple Road in Uttarahalli. She worked as a telecaller and helper at a loan recovery company. Netravathi had separated from her husband and was living with her daughter at the time of her death.
“Five minors, including the girl and her four male friends, allegedly killed the mother. They are aged between 16 and 17 years and are school dropouts, except one of the juveniles, a 13-year-old boy, who is studying in the seventh standard, TOI quoted a senior officer as saying.
Based on a complaint filed by the deceased’s elder sister, Anitha, a case was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 103 (punishment for murder).
The girl, a 10th standard failed student, was in love with a 17-year-old juvenile who is a ninth standard dropout. Netravathi recently learned about her daughter’s love relationship and scolded the boy, warning him not to visit her house or her daughter.
On October 25, the group, comprising her daughter’s boyfriend and three other boys, arrived at Netravathi’s house at night. Netravathi, who was sleeping, woke up to find them inside. She scolded her daughter’s boyfriend for coming over, seized his phone, and threatened to call the police.
The boys allegedly overpowered Netravathi, who was under the influence of alcohol, and strangled her with a towel. Realising she was dead, the teenagers conspired to make it appear as a suicide. They moved her body to a room and hanged it from a ceiling fan using a saree, added the report.
The girl, scared, locked the house and escaped with her lover.
Netravathi’s partner, who had been visiting her for the past five years, was out of town for a few days. When he returned on Sunday, he found the door locked and couldn’t reach her by phone. Assuming she was away, he went back to his house.
On Monday, Anitha called him to ask if Netravathi had contacted her. He told her the house was locked. They then went to the house, peered through the window, and saw her hanging.
Initially, the family believed it was a suicide, especially given the daughter’s known love affair. Since the girl was missing, they suspected she had eloped with her boyfriend. On October 29, Anitha filed a case of kidnapping with the Subramanyapura police.
However, on Thursday afternoon, the girl returned to her grandmother’s house in Kaggalipura and acted suspiciously. When questioned by family members, she confessed that her friends had killed her mother and had threatened her with a knife if she revealed the truth.
Except for the 13-year-old boy, all the juveniles have been secured and are under interrogation.
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Four held for Rs 33 lakh online investment fraud; interstate racket busted
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has busted an interstate cyber fraud syndicate involved in an online investment scam and arrested four persons, an official said on Saturday.
A crime branch team arrested the accused in a case where a victim was allegedly cheated of Rs 33.83 lakh on the pretext of lucrative returns through online trading platforms.
“Police said the accused lured victims with promises of high returns and later coerced them into depositing more money on the pretext of unlocking or withdrawing earlier investments,” the officer said.
Police said the racket operated across several states, including Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan, and used a network of mule bank accounts to route and layer the defrauded money to conceal its origin.
“During the investigation, the cheated amount was traced to 15 bank accounts. Thirteen of these accounts were registered outside Delhi, indicating the organised and interstate nature of the syndicate,” said the police officer.
The accused have been identified as Mohammad Khalid (26) and Atiur Rahman (23), both residents of Delhi, Ramandeep Singh (29) from Punjab, and Tanish alias Heera Ram (27) from Rajasthan.
According to the police, Khalid was arrested on March 15 and allegedly disclosed that he gave his bank account details and SIM card to a co-accused for a commission.
Rahman, who was already lodged in a jail in Haryana in a similar case, was later formally arrested. Ramandeep Singh was arrested on April 6 and allegedly admitted to sharing his account credentials for monetary gain.
Tanish was apprehended from Rajasthan on April 9 for facilitating the use of such accounts in the fraud network.
During the probe, officers analysed over 100 call detail records, IMEI data and transaction-related digital evidence to track the accused and establish the money trail.
Three mobile phones and SIM cards used in the crime have been recovered.
Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the syndicate and trace additional financial linkages, the police said.
