Bengaluru: A 46-year-old man allegedly burnt a woman alive inside a car before ending his own life by jumping before a moving train. The victim has been identified as Saroja (35), a resident of Devanahalli and worked as a Kannada lecturer in a private college. The accused man has been identified as Ramanjinappa, a resident of Marasandra village. He was a divorcee, who was a contractual employee at the taluk office in Doddaballapur.

The couple was allegedly having ‘extramarital affair’.  Their alleged affair ended in brutality when Ramanjinappa allegedly murdered Saroja near Jinke Bachahali under Doddavallapur Rural police station limits on Saturday.  Ramanjinappa’s body was found on a railway track near Bidadi on Sunday, according to a report in Times of India.

Ramanjinappa modus operandi to kill Saroja

On Saturday morning, Ramanjinappa told his friend Suresh Kumar that he had a family medical emergency and requested him to lent his car. Around 9:30 am, he drove to Devanahalli and picked up Saroja from a bus stop. According to the report, the two spent the morning sightseeing at Nandi Hills and nearby spots.

By late afternoon, the couple  drove to an isolated place on the edge of Jinkebachhahalli in Doddaballapur. It was at this secluded place that the trip took a tragic turn.

Extra-marital affairs suspicion

According to the police, a heated argument took place between them which led Ramanjinappa to allegedly hit Saroja on the head with a hammer.  When she lost consciousness, the accused moved her body to the back seat of the car and and set it on fire by pouring petrol.  Following police probe, a half-burnt shirt and a mobile phone was found near the spot indicating Ramanjinappa’s involvement in the murder.

Preliminary police probe suggests that when the car was set on fire, the accused likely suffered burns injuries on his body. Locals who reportedly witnessed the incident saw a man fleeing from the scene.

How the victim was identified

When Ramanjinappa returned home after the alleged killing, he was questioned by his neighbours about his injuries. He initially blamed the injuries to the acid attack. The police suspect that the two were in an extra marital relationship and that a quarrel between them led Ramanjinappa to murder her.

The police had launched a search for him after he was found absconding. Meanwhile, on Sunday morning, he allegedly dies by suicide by jumping before the running train on Bidad-Hejjala railway track. Railway police recovered his Adhaar card near the scene and confirmed his identity.

The entire investigation began on Saturday night when the police control room received a missing person complaint about a woman named Saroja. When police went for a search, they found a burnt body inside a car and also recovered some ornaments. Jayashankar, who is the husband of Saroja, identified the jewelry and later recognised the body of his wife.

Later on Sunday afternoon, Jayashankar formally registered a police complaint against Ramanjinappa for his wife’s murder.

(Curated by: Faiza Nazar)