WASHINGTON / HYDERABAD: AP girl Arpana B Jinaga, who was found dead in her apartment at Redmond, Seattle in USA recently, was strangulated to death, the autopsy report said.
A day after terming it as a ``suspicious’’ killing, the Redmond police have registered a case of homicide and took up investigation.
According to information reaching here, the cause of death mentioned in the autopsy report is ``asphyxia due to ligature strangulation.’’ The report further stated that Arpana was strangulated around 3.30 a.m on Saturday (US time).
It also states that the victim had struggled with the assailant before she was finally done to death. ``We are investigating the case as a homicide and it will take several days to gather more information,’’ a spokesperson for the Redmond police said. A massive hunt has been launched for the assailant.
Arpana, a software engineer working for a local company EMC Corps in Seattle was found dead under `suspicious’ circumstances in her apartment at 8900 block on the Redmond-Woodinville road on Monday morning (US time). Her family resides at OU Colony, Shaikpet here in the city.
The investigators, however, have not arrived at a conclusion as to what the motive behind the murder could be. As the doors to her apartment was forced open, the sleuths are yet to figure out whether someone known to her committed the crime or was it a stranger.
Investigation into the murder, which has shocked the Indian community in the US, began with questioning of several of her friends and neighbours.
Those present at the Halloween party Arpana had attended last Friday, were also questioned but the police could not gather any leads so far.
Arpana was last seen on Friday night by her neighbours at Valley View Apartments in Redmond, where she was staying alone.
Meanwhile, Arpana’s father Dr Basavappa C Jinaga, who is the Director of the School of Information Technology, JNTU, left for the US Consulate in Chennai last night.
``Arpana’s father and other relatives met me yesterday evening and we are in the process of getting in touch with the US authorities,’’ Additional Secretary (Protocol) Ramana Reddy told Express.
``So far, the US authorities have not contacted us but we are in the process of bringing the body back here,’’ Reddy added.
It is learnt that Dr Basavappa’s wife is a distant relative of Karnataka Chief Minister B Yeddyurappa and his US-based daughter-in-law has arrived in Seattle completing all necessary formalities to bring Arpana’s body to India.
``Dr Basavappa is likely to return to the city tonight and would be flying to the US in a day or two to bring the body. The body is likely to arrive by Saturday night,’’ Arpana’s cousin Mruthunjaya Jinaga, who arrived in the city from Karnataka said.