BENGALURU: A teenager and her friends killed her 34-year-old mother and staged it as a suicide by hanging her in their Uttarahalli, South Bengaluru, home recently.
The 17-year-old daughter was on the run after the incident, locking the house behind her.
The case, initially believed to be a suicide, took a twist after the girl returned to her grandmother and tried to fabricate a story. However, her aunt suspected her and alerted the police, who got her to confess.
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 in a loan recovery company. Netravathi was separated from her husband and lived with her daughter.
A senior officer said, “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.”
Deputy commissioner of Police (South-West) Anitha B Haddannavar said that 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).
Why the murder
The girl, a 10th standard failed student, was in love with a 17-year-old juvenile who is a ninth standard dropout. Her lover is a friend of her aunt Anitha’s son.
The girl’s friends, including her lover, often visited her house and spent time there.
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 24, the girl, her lover, and other friends met in a mall. The girl reportedly invited them to her house, saying her mother would get drunk in the evening and sleep early.
On October 25, around 9 pm, the group—including her daughter’s boyfriend and three other boys, including his 13-year-old cousin—went to Netravathi’s house.
Netravathi, who was sleeping, woke up and found them inside. She scolded her daughter’s boyfriend for coming over, took his phone, and threatened to call the police.
The boys reportedly caught Netravathi, who was under the influence of alcohol and strangled her with a towel. After learning about her death, the teenagers discussed among themselves and decided to stage it as a suicide. They took her body into a room and hanged it from a ceiling fan using a saree.
The girl, scared, locked the house and escaped with her lover. Netravathi’s partner, who had been visiting her for the last five years, was out of town for a few days.
He returned on Sunday to find the door locked and could not reach her over the phone, so he assumed she was away and went back to his house.
On Monday, Anitha called him and asked if Netravathi had contacted her. He informed her that the house was locked. They went near the house, peeped through the window, and saw her hanging.
The family initially believed it was a suicide, knowing about the daughter’s love affair. Since the girl was missing, they suspected she had eloped with her lover. A case of kidnapping was filed by Anitha with Subramanyapura police on October 29.
However, the girl went to her grandmother’s house in Kaggalipura on Thursday afternoon and behaved suspiciously. When questioned by family members, she admitted that her friends had killed her mother and 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, a senior officer said. The girl had been staying at her lover’s female friend’s house for three days, claiming her mother was out of Bengaluru for work.
She was later sent away from that house after suspicions arose, the officer added.
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