Teenage delivery agent murdered in Bengaluru, ex-lover's cousin among five held
Bengaluru: A 19-year-old delivery agent was allegedly abducted and brutally murdered by a group of five men following his failed relationship with a student, police said Sunday.
Preetham R, from Prashanth Nagar in Devanahalli town, was employed by an online grocery firm on Sulibele Road. Authorities have apprehended five suspects in connection with the murder: Srikanth, Shiva Kumar, Charan, Sanjay, and Kaushik. The suspects are aged 22-25 years and reside at Gantiganahalli and neighbouring areas.
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According to the investigators, Preetham had previously been in a relationship with a 21-year-old woman pursuing a bachelor's degree in Ayurveda. The relationship had deteriorated over time, resulting in the young woman distancing herself from Preetham.
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"Preetham was apparently unable to accept the termination of the relationship and made repeated attempts to reconnect with the young woman," a senior police officer said. "These persistent efforts were perceived as harassment by the woman, who informed her family members about the situation."
Among those alerted was Srikanth, the woman's cousin, who alongside his friends reportedly confronted Preetham about his behaviour. Despite warnings, Preetham allegedly continued his pursuit.
Police indicated that Srikanth and his accomplices forcibly removed Preetham from the vicinity of his workplace around 10.30pm May 2 and stuffed him into a vehicle. What followed was a horrific two-hour ordeal during which the victim was driven to multiple locations while being subjected to assault.
"The suspects admitted to repeatedly striking the victim with their fists and feet while inside the moving vehicle. They also stopped at an isolated location to continue the assault. The violence was particularly concentrated on the victim's facial area, resulting in severe disfigurement," an investigating officer said.
When Preetham eventually lost consciousness, the assailants, reportedly realising the gravity of their actions, abandoned his body near the govt primary school at Neeragantipalya village, Devanahalli.
Preetham's father, Ramachandra H, visited his son's office around 6am Saturday as his son, whose shift would end at 3am, had not returned home. He learned about the abduction from his son's colleagues. During the search for his son, Ramachandra received information about an unidentified body discovered near Neeragantipalya.
"The family had difficulty in identifying Preetham due to the extensive facial injuries," a police official said. Preetham's body was found by around 7.15am, after which Ramachandra filed a formal complaint.
Ramachandra's complaint also alleged that this was not the first violent encounter between his son and the suspects, claiming that Srikanth and his associates had physically assaulted Preetham around five days before the fatal incident.
All five suspects were taken into custody Sunday evening. Police said they were labourers engaged in various occupations.
"They are currently being held for further questioning as the investigation continues. We are working to establish a complete timeline of events and determine the precise circumstances that led to this tragic outcome," a senior officer said.
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