Impartial probe in geologist's murder case, says Bengaluru top cop

Bengaluru, Nov 7 (IANS) Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda said on Tuesday that his department was carrying out an impartial probe into the murder of a senior female geologist in the city that raised concerns.

Speaking to reporters, Commissioner Dayananda said the accused was arrested and the probe was on. The accused, Kiran, was working with the victim. The investigation is being conducted to ascertain what conspired regarding the murder and all aspects will be probed, he said.

“The investigation is also being done in all dimensions. The investigation will continue on the basis of the evidence which will be gathered in the course of the investigation. The case would be probed impartially,” he stated.

Meanwhile, police sources said the accused Kiran had stated that he was harassed by the officer K.S. Prathima. He had told police that he collected money for her and did not get any cut. The accused had also claimed that he was always addressed in singulars by the victim.

The accused had also claimed that on the day of murder, when the victim had held her feet pleading to revoke his termination orders, she had kicked him and asked him to get out of her house. Enraged by this act, he had strangled her with her dupatta and later took a knife in the kitchen and had slit her throat, police said.

Though the police were quick to arrest the culprit, political angle is also being given to the case. Congress spokesperson and legal cell secretary Surya Mukundraj has demanded that the role of MLA Munirathna be probed.

"Without getting a license, boulders were blasted in Hunasamaranahalli. The deceased officer had prepared a report about it and submitted it to the district commissioner. A complaint was also lodged at the Chikkajala police station in Bengaluru. Munirathna is the second accused in the case," he had stated.

BJP MLA and former minister N. Munirathna had claimed that he was being wrongly implicated in the murder case. Speaking to reporters, Munirathna maintained that attempts were being made to send him to Delhi's Tihar Jail to ensure his absence during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Senior geologist Prathima, 45, who worked as a deputy director in Bengaluru Rural district, was found murdered at her residence on Sunday.

The Subramanyapura police, who launched a probe quickly, made three arrests based on suspicion and one of them, former driver Kiran turned out to be the alleged killer, the police said.

He was alleged to have been leaking critical information and the movements of the officials. Prathima had questioned him about it. However, Kiran continued to leak information, hence he was sacked, the police had stated.