A government driver, Kiran, has been accused of the murder of Prathima KS, a senior geologist.
Bengaluru:
Bengaluru Police have arrested a driver for the murder of a Karnataka government officer – Prathima KS – who was found dead at her home in the city’s Subramanyapora area. “One suspect has been taken into custody in connection with the murder case. He was working as a driver and he was removed from the work, probably seven to 10 days earlier,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand said.
Sources told The Hindkesharithe driver – an on-contract government employee for the past five years – has confessed. He said he killed her because she had sacked him. The driver has been identified as Kiran, and sources said he fled to Chamarajanagar, which is around 200 km from Bengaluru.
Ms Prathima, 45, a geologist with the state’s Mines and Geology Department, was stabbed to death; her husband and son were in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district, which is 300 km from Bengaluru.
The murder – Ms Prathima’s body was found with the throat slit – was discovered around 8.30 am Sunday after her brother informed the police. Preliminary inquiries reveal she was in office till 6 pm on Saturday, after which she was dropped at her home by the driver hired to replace Kiran.
This was around 8 pm, according to police.
READ |“She Raided Few Places Recently”: Colleague On Murdered Karnataka Officer
The murder is believed to have taken place between 8 pm Saturday and 8 am Sunday, police sources have told NDTV. Ms Prathima’s home was a two-floor, independent building in Doddakallasandra.
Ms Prathima, whose work took her across the city, including its more rural areas, completed her Master’s from a college in Shivamogga and had been working in Bengaluru for over a year.
A senior officer from the state’s Environment Department described her as a “very dynamic lady” who worked hard. “She was very brave too. Be it raids or any action… she earned a great reputation in the department. She recently raided a few places,” the officer, Dinesh, told reporters.
“She didn’t make any enemies… she did her work well and earned a great name,” he said.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has vowed justice for the murdered woman.