BENGALURU:
In response to the murder of Prathima K S (45), Deputy Director of Mines and Geology, the city police have established three teams to delve into the case. Prathima was discovered dead in her Gokula Layout apartment on Sunday morning, her throat gruesomely slit. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Division), Rahul Kumar, revealed that Prathima was initially suffocated, then strangled, before ultimately meeting her demise.
The incident came to light when Prathima’s brother attempted to contact her, only to receive no response. Concerned, he proceeded to her residence, where he tragically discovered her lifeless body. Prathima had returned home around 8 pm on Saturday, having lived alone for the past five years while her former husband and son resided in Tirthahalli. Notably, no signs of robbery were found at the scene, according to the DCP.
Prathima’s body was subsequently transported to the Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) hospital for a postmortem examination, providing further insight into the investigation. The police diligently reviewed CCTV footage in the vicinity and collected evidence, leading them to gather crucial clues about the potential culprits. Authorities anticipate the swift arrest of the accused.
Five years ago, Prathima divorced her husband amicably and had since resided alone in her house. On the day of the incident, she left the office at 7:45 pm and arrived home at 8:30 pm. Concerned about the rainy weather, she inquired about the driver’s route home before disembarking from the vehicle. The driver parked the car and departed on his two-wheeler.
Prathima stepped out of her car and made her way to her first-floor flat. Just as she reached for the doorknob, a sudden attack from behind caught her off guard. The assailants forcefully dragged her inside, swiftly closing the door behind them. In the struggle, the deceased’s glasses fell near the entrance, a chilling testament to the violence that had unfolded. Additionally, Prathima’s lunch box, which she had taken to the office, was discovered at the door.
To silence her cries for help, a rope was tightly wound around her neck, muffling any sound that might have alerted the neighbors. Tragically, her life was taken through a combination of strangulation and a brutal throat-slitting with a knife. The calculated nature of the murder suggests that it was meticulously planned in advance.
