Bengaluru, 29 May

Cottonpet police have solved the murder of a 50-year-old woman who was found dead in her home, arresting two men, including her relative, who allegedly killed her to steal valuables and recover losses from a scam.

The victim, Latha, lived on Dargah Road in Cottonpet with her husband Prakash, a wholesale cloth merchant, and their two children. On Monday, Prakash had left early for work with their daughter, while their son was at school, leaving Latha home alone.

The accused, Purandar, 42, a relative of the victim, and his friend Shivappa, 35, both electricians from Bidar, allegedly visited Latha under the guise of a family visit. Police said she welcomed them in and served them lunch.

After the meal, the two men allegedly strangled Latha to death and looted gold jewellery worth several lakhs and Rs 1.5 lakh in cash before fleeing to Bidar.

The murder came to light when Prakash returned home for lunch and found Latha dead. Her face bore signs of injury, indicating a violent struggle.

CCTV footage from the area helped police identify and track the suspects to Bidar. The duo, who admitted to losses in a fraudulent ‘rice pulling’ scam, confessed to the murder during interrogation.

Both have been charged with murder and theft.