Bengaluru: What was initially believed to be a tragic fire accident in an apartment in east Bengaluru has now been confirmed as a brutal murder. Police have arrested an 18-year-old student for allegedly killing a 34-year-old software engineer after she resisted his sexual advances.
The victim, identified as Sharmila DK, was found dead after a fire broke out around 10:15 pm on January 3, 2026, at her two-bedroom flat in Subramanya Layout. Firefighters recovered her charred body from a spare bedroom belonging to her roommate, who had been away since mid-November.
While the incident was initially suspected to be caused by an electrical short circuit, suspicions were raised by a close friend of the victim, prompting Ramamurthy Nagar Police Station to register an unnatural death case.
Autopsy Reveals Suffocation, Not Burns
Forensic examination ruled out electrical faults, and the post-mortem confirmed that Sharmila had died of suffocation, not due to burns, indicating foul play.
Based on technical evidence and surveillance inputs, police zeroed in on Karnal Kurai, an 18-year-old PUC student and neighbour of the victim. Investigators said Kurai allegedly entered the flat through a sliding window around 9:00 pm and demanded sexual favours.
When Sharmila resisted, the accused allegedly smothered her by covering her mouth and nose until she lost consciousness and died.
Fire Used to Destroy Evidence
To conceal the crime, Kurai reportedly gathered the victimโs clothes and other materials in the spare bedroom and set them on fire, before fleeing the scene with her mobile phone.
The accused, a native of Virajpet who lived with his single mother in Bengaluru, was arrested on Saturday. He has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 103(1), 64(2), 66 and 238.
Police said the accused has been remanded to three days of custody for further investigation.
Senior officers described the case as a cold-blooded murder disguised as an accident, adding that swift forensic work and technical analysis were key to cracking the case.
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