Ballari, 15 June

A 26-year-old medical laboratory worker from Ballari was allegedly murdered by a woman who had been sexually harassed by him for nearly a year, say police sources.

Patil Basavanagouda's partially burnt body was found near the Shivapura–Tambrahalli LLC canal on 8 June. Police launched an investigation after registering a First Information Report (FIR) based on a complaint filed by his maternal uncle, Hampanagouda at Moka Police Station.

Both the police and the youth's family initially suspected a love affair gone wrong. However, the investigation later revealed that the crime was allegedly committed because of Basavanagouda's inappropriate behaviour. The target of the harassment was allegedly assisted by her husband and brother in carrying out the crime.

On looking into his online messages, police found that he had sent obscene and inappropriate messages to several women, including one named Shwetha, who was related to him by marriage. Officials also discovered that she, her husband Doddabasavanagouda, and her brother Vijay had been near the crime scene on the day of the murder and had switched their phones off.

When the trio was detained and questioned, the details of the crime allegedly came to light. Shwetha had lured Basavanagouda to the spot where Doddabasavanagouda and Vijay strangled him with a rope, later setting his body ablaze to destroy evidence.

Police said the case bears striking similarities to the murder of Renukaswamy, a case that shook Bengaluru two years ago, in which actor Darshan Thoogudeepa is an accused.