Love turns fatal: woman strangled by lover near Kodathi, accused arrested

Bengaluru : A young woman was allegedly murdered by her lover following a heated argument over marriage near Kodathi under the jurisdiction of Varthur Police Station. The accused, who had reportedly lured the victim to Bengaluru with the promise of marriage, was arrested after police uncovered an attempt to pass off the murder as suicide.

The deceased has been identified as Ranjitha (24), a native of Kodagu district. The accused, Ayyappa, who is also from the same region, has been taken into custody by police in connection with the case.

According to police sources, both Ranjitha and Ayyappa hail from Ponnampete in Kodagu. Ayyappa was already married earlier but had separated from his wife. Police said he had been in a relationship with Ranjitha for some time and had reportedly convinced her that he would marry her. Trusting his promise, Ranjitha had left her home and moved to Bengaluru.

The couple had been staying together for the past two months in a rented house owned by Gopal near Kodathi. During this period, Ranjitha was working at a D-Mart outlet, while Ayyappa was employed as a supervisor in a dry fruits shop.

Investigators revealed that tensions had been building between the two over the issue of marriage. Ranjitha had been pressuring Ayyappa to formally marry her, insisting that he first obtain a divorce from his first wife. This reportedly led to frequent quarrels between the couple.

The dispute reportedly escalated late on Friday night. During the argument, the accused allegedly strangled Ranjitha using a wire, leading to her death.

Police said that after committing the crime, Ayyappa attempted to mislead authorities by staging the scene to resemble a suicide. He allegedly tried to create the impression that Ranjitha had died by hanging from a ceiling fan.

To strengthen the fabricated narrative, the accused reportedly approached the house owner and claimed that Ranjitha had taken her own life. He then took her to a hospital while continuing to insist that it was a suicide.

However, when police from the Varthur station arrived at the scene and began their inspection, inconsistencies in the accused’s version began to emerge. Officials noted suspicious marks on the victim’s neck and other evidence inside the house that suggested foul play.

Further questioning and forensic observations indicated that the death was not caused by hanging but by strangulation. Under sustained interrogation, the accused eventually confessed to murdering Ranjitha following the dispute.

Police have registered a murder case and further investigation is underway to gather additional evidence and complete the legal procedures.