Puttur: Servant Couple Kills Old Woman, Decamps With Gold and Cash

Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur / Mangalore (MM/MB)
With inputs and pics from Arun Uppinangady

Puttur / Uppinangady, Oct 28: An old woman was brutally murdered by a couple who had recently joined domestic service in a house at Kuvechar in Ramakunka village near here on Saturday, October 27.

The deceased old woman has been identified as Bharati (80), a relative who lived in the house of Krishnaraj, who owns M S Narayan Jewellers in Uppinangady town.

The crime was committed around 11-00 am on Saturday. The alleged culprits, Girish and Parvati of Shimoga origin, first shot Bharati dead. The whole operation seems to have been well planned and professionally executed. They appeared to have used cloth on their hands to prevent leaving behind any fingerprints. Besides, they cut off the landline phone wires and removed the SIM cards from the mobile phones in the house.

After shooting at Bharati, the culprits asked Krishnaraj's wife and mother Sunanda to hand over all gold and cash they possessed. Pointing at Bharati's body and threatening others of the same fate, the couple collected as much valuables as possible before fleeing the place.

Gold weighing at least a kilogramme has been taken away, while the exact amount of cash looted is yet to be ascertained. Vani and Sunanda had been bound by the culprits in the farm and the crime did not come to light until evening, when Vani managed to break herself free and inform the relatives in the vicinity around 6 pm.

The domestic couple also appeared to have taken advantage of other household employees having gone on leave. Krishnaraj was in the jewellery shop and only three women and two children were present in the house. 

Puttur assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Dr Harsha, circle inspector Ravish, Uppinangady station sub inspector M G Nayak and Kadaba sub inspector Nandakumar rushed to the spot and initiated a probe.

The police have warned the public against employing people from distant towns without proper reference and without studying their antecedents. This episode could also result in honest servants to be looked down with suspicion in future, they further said.