Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 9: Three senior citizens, who were planned to be killed by a gang, are alive because of CCTV cameras near their houses. The policemen came to know about this after arresting a gang which had killed Laxmi (63), who was living alone in BEML extension in the city.

The gang, led by Krishna Kishore (30), a science graduates, with friends-cum-members, M Gopi alias Tambi (21) from Katriguppe, Raghavendra alias Marammagudi (33) from Gavipura Guttahalli and Guguraj (31), planned to murder people to put together money for leading a luxurious life.

Krishna, unemployed kingpin of the gang, who was addicted to several vices, was the main planner of the gang. He had planned to eliminate three elderly citizens living at BEML extension, but a close scrutiny by gang members revealed that there were CCTV cameras near and around their houses. Therefore, the gang felt it was unsafe to commit their murders. Finally, the gang found that there were no CCTV cameras around the house of Laxmi. They killed her and took away gold ornaments from her home, said deputy commissioner of police (western division), Ajay Hillori.

Krishna Kishore's father, Bhaskar Prasad, and Laxmi's husband, Satyamurty, were colleagues when working for BEML here. Both have their houses at BEML layout. Satyamurty died three years back. Laxmi lived alone at her house, whereas her son lived at Koramangala, and daughter is living at Coimbatore.

Krishna often visited Laxmi. On May 27, he went there in the guise of exchanging pleasantries. During this visit, he carefully scoured the area. On the night of May 31, Krishna entered the house after asking Laxmi to open the door. Ten minutes later, Guru came in, locked the door, and banged Laxmi's head hard against the wall. After she collapsed, Raghavendra and Gopi gagged her and killed her by tightening the wire of a mobile charger around her neck.

At that time, someone knocked at the door. The robbers took away ornaments worn by Laxmi and fled through the backdoor. The murder came to light when the housemaid visited the house on June 1 morning, it is gathered.

During investigations, policemen stumbled upon Krishna's name when pooling information about visitors to the house. Neighbours were told to inform police if he came there again. Krishna, who had left the city for a few days, came back and was moving around the area, planning another murder. People who saw him tipped the police. During his questioning, he revealed the truth, police personnel said.