Facebook ‘boyfriend' murders Karnataka woman during their first meeting in Hassan, arrested from Mandya
The police said Puneeth Gowda, a resident of Mandya district and an engineering graduate, killed Preethi Sundaresh Saturday during their first meeting near Hassan in 'a fit of rage'.
They said Sundaresh, a Hassan resident, was married and had two children, and Gowda is unemployed, adding that the two got in touch with each other on Facebook two days before they met in Hassan.
According to the police, they launched a probe after Sundaresh was reported missing by her family Saturday. The police closed in on Gowda after probing her Call Details Records (CDR) and Facebook messages, which eventually led to his arrest.
According to a Mandya police officer, after exchanging messages on the social media platform, they both expressed a desire to meet and have a physical relationship. Without informing her family, Sundaresh went on an outing with Gowda in his car on Saturday, the officer added.
After spending some private moments near Hassan, they got into a heated argument, and Gowda struck Sudaresh, resulting in her death. Later, Gowda transported her body in his car and buried it on his farm near the Kattaraghatta forest in KR Pet, said a police officer.
'Puneeth claims that Preethi offered him money to continue to have a physical relationship with him. But Puneeth expressed disinterest, and a fight broke out over the issue,' a police officer said.
On Wednesday, the Mandya police took Gowda back to the location where he had allegedly buried the body.
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