BENGALURU: A 25-year-old gym trainer was assaulted and strangled to death by four of his friends at an apartment in Kempapura early Sunday morning. The police have arrested four people in connection with the murder, while the reason for the assault is yet to be ascertained.
The deceased has been identified as Nandan, a resident of Jakkur Layout in Yelahanka. He had been working as a trainer at a gym in Sahakara Nagar for the past one year. The accused have been identified as Vishwanath, Sharath and Nishanth, who were Nandan’s colleagues at the gym, and Anush, the gym-goer. The accused are aged between 22 and 25. According to the police, all five had become friends at the gym. On Saturday evening, after attending the gym’s anniversary event, they went to Anush’s flat in Kempapura for a party.
According to the preliminary investigation, an argument broke out between Nandan and the others over an issue, which escalated into a violent clash in the apartment’s bathroom. During the clash, Nandan was physically assaulted and sustained a head injury after broken glass allegedly struck his head. He also had round marks on his chest, the cause of which is yet to be ascertained.
Prima facie, the injuries indicated that Nandan may have been strangled, which led to his death, the police said. Nandan was later rushed to a private hospital around 7 pm. However, he had died due to severe blood loss before being taken to the hospital, the police said.
The police added that Vishwanath and Sharath also sustained minor injuries. Based on a complaint filed by Nandan’s mother, Manjula, a murder case was registered at the Amruthahalli police station. The four accused have been arrested and are being questioned to ascertain their roles in the alleged murder.
The police are also analysing CCTV footage. Speaking to reporters, Manjula said said Nandan had told her on Saturday that after the gym anniversary event, he would either return home that evening or on Sunday morning. “But he never returned home,” she said.