Bangalore: Techie Killed wife for Lover
Times of India
BANGALORE, Nov 15: Manoj Kumar was not married to the woman he loved. He had to choose between the two, and soon. He could not displease his parents since it was an arranged marriage. And breaking up was not easy.
The software engineer from Chennai thought hard and hit upon a plan. His wife Lakshmi, a bride of four months, had to go so he could continue his relationship with Anuradha Reddy, his former colleague.
Lakshmi, also a software engineer, worked with IBM, Bangalore. On November 8, she was not feeling well and stayed home. Manoj grabbed the chance, took a three-hour break from office, murdered her at their home near HAL, and went back to work.
As usual, Manoj left home around 9.30 am on that day, and returned home in the afternoon. While conversing with Lakshmi, he spilled some chilli powder on her face. When she was washing her face in the kitchen, Manoj put on gloves and hit her on the head with an iron pipe, before strangulating her.
He ransacked the bedroom, took away Rs 30,000 and his wife's jewellery and mobile phone. He packed everything into a bag, along with the iron pipe he used, and slipped out of the house. On the way back to office, he dumped the bag at Ejipura.
At 9.30 pm, Manoj returned home and called up the police, saying his wife was murdered. The first to come under suspicion were some construction labourers, as there was work going on in the second floor of the house where the couple stayed. A shopkeeper had seen Lakshmi talking to two workers and giving them water to drink.
However, chilli powder spilled on the floor, as well as some hair lying in the kitchen, suggested it was the handiwork of some insiders. Hair samples were sent for forensic tests and the police inquired about Manoj's movement in the office that day. Manoj could not give a convincing reply as to where he was during the three crucial hours.
The police also recovered the bag which Manoj had dumped in Ejipura, barring the mobile phone. Manoj has been arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
Manoj was employed in Bangalore for a long time. Recently, he began working as a consultant with a software firm. He was involved with former colleague Anuradha Reddy, who had applied for a divorce with her husband. Meanwhile, Manoj's parents learnt about the relationship and forced him to marry Lakshmi. The couple had gone to Chennai for Diwali and returned to the city.