Man held on charge of murdering live-in partner

Police have arrested a 34-year-old man for allegedly murdering his 21-year-old live-in partner, identified as Anjali, over suspicion that she was having an affair with someone else. Both were daily wage labourers.

The accused, identified as Ravichandra, is a resident of Amruthahalli in the northeastern part of Bengaluru. He was a car driver, while Anjali was a street vendor.

He was separated from his wife and had been living with Anjali for the past few months. Anjali too was separated from her husband, and both were yet to obtain a formal divorce.

A police officer said that night beat police personnel noticed Ravichandra walking hurriedly on a street near his house on Thursday night and intercepted him.

“When our men approached him, they noticed his clothes were stained with blood. He behaved suspiciously when questioned, so the officers took him to his house, where they found his live-in partner lying dead,” the officer told The Hindu.

According to the police, Ravichandra suspected that Anjali was friendly with another man and frequently picked quarrels with her. On Thursday, they fought over the same issue, which escalated, allegedly leading the accused to stab Anjali.

Leaving her in a pool of blood, Ravichandra fled from the scene, fearing that neighbours would barge into the house as Anjali screamed for help. However, the alertness of the police officers led to his quick arrest.

The Amruthahalli Police have seized the weapon and booked Ravichandra under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.