BANGALORE: Quick thinking by a petrol bunk employee helped the police arrest a man who had just murdered a 60-year-old home-alone man at CK Achchukattu police limits. However, his accomplice managed to escape.
If not for the haste and greed of Ravindra (30), his crime may even have been passed off as a natural death.
Alok Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police, said the duo took considerable pains to ensure that there were no marks on the victim’s body and no visible signs of struggle.
“The murder would not have come to light if Ravindra had not tried to use the victim’s credit card at a petrol bunk,” he added.
The victim, Narasimhan Iyengar, a retired computer engineer, was living alone for the last two-three years. His sons live abroad and his wife lives with one of them in London, police said.
One of the accused, identified as Chandra, worked at Iyengar’s house a few months ago. He knew that the man lived alone and was familiar with the layout of the house.
Believing that the man had lots of money and jewellery, Ravindra and Chandra decided to murder and rob him. On Monday night, they got into the house and smothered Iyengar to death. According to the police, the accused covered the victim’s face with a bedsheet and while one held the head, the other pressed down on his nose and face till he stopped breathing.
The two then removed all signs of struggle and laid the body in such a way that it looked like Iyengar had died in his sleep, police said.
However, the two could not find any valuables or money in the house except some silver items in the puja room and Iyengar’s credit card.
Ravindra decided to use the credit card at a petrol bunk near Chikkajala.
He asked the bunk employee to swipe the card for `1,000 and give him cash, after taking a cut. This raised the employee’s suspicion and he informed the police.
Chandra saw the police jeep approaching and escaped, while Ravindra was caught. During interrogation, Ravindra spilled the beans.
Police are on the lookout for Chandra. Alok Kumar said the department is considering felicitating the bunk employee.