Bengaluru, Feb 3 (DHNS): A 24-year-old Ugandan woman was murdered at her house in Kothanur in the early hours of Thursday.

Nakayaki Florence was a BCom student, and a native of Kampala in Uganda. Ishaan (27), who reportedly knifed her to death, was nabbed from her house.

The incident took place between 1.30 and 2 am at her second floor house in Thimmegowda Layout, near the Kothanur bus stand. Police said she was involved in the flesh trade, a charge members of her community believe diverts the case.

Ishaan, a native of Himachal Pradesh, told the police he was an MTech looking for a job in Bengaluru. He worked as a part-time tutor and was a paying guest in BTM Layout, the police said. Ishaan met Nakayaki on Brigade Road, and struck a deal for Rs 5,000 to visit her house, a police source said, quoting Ishaan. She demanded Rs 10,000 as he had stayed longer than agreed, Ishaan purportedly told the police.

Drunken scuffle

This resulted in a quarrel. Both were drunk, and Nakayaki grabbed a knife and charged at Ishaan, injuring his hand, according to the police. Ishaan then snatched it from her and stabbed her four or five times, killing her instantly. Hearing the commotion, the landlady rushed to the second floor and locked the door from outside, trapping Ishaan inside.

“We have already established that he (Ishaan) killed the victim, and prima facie, there is clear-cut circumstantial evidence,” said P S Harsha, Deputy Commissioner of Police, North-East Division. However, he did not divulge details, saying the investigation was in progress.

Since it was a murder involving a foreigner, a large number of policemen rushed to the area. People from several African countries had gathered at the spot and were seeking access to Ishaan. The police caned the crowd and whisked him away around 3 am. Soon a platoon of KSRP personnel arrived. The police have booked some Africans for assault, a policeman said.

An association of Africans took objection to the way the city police approached the case. “How can the police come out with conclusive statements that the victim was in the flesh trade and the cause of murder was money over unlawful activity? This is victimising the victim further,” said Bosco Kaweesi, legal adviser, All African Students in Bengaluru.

The fact of the case is that someone went to Nakayaki’s house at night and murdered her, he said. “Let the police probe the case impartially,” Kaweesi urged.

Envoy coming

Three officials from the Ugandan High Commission, besides the Ugandan ambassador to India , will be coming to Bengaluru on Friday, said Bosco Kaweesi.