HYDERABAD: Arpana B Jinaga, a software engineer working for a local company in Seattle, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in her apartment at 8900 block on the Redmond-Woodinville road on Monday.
Arpana,whose family resides at OU Colony, Shaikpet here in the city, had been staying at Valley View Apartments in Redmond, Seattle.
Arpana was last seen by her neighbours on Friday night. And, her parents did not hear from her again after Thursday contrary to her habit of calling up daily. Her father Dr Basavappa C Jinaga, Director of the School of Information Technology, JNTU, apprehended trouble and contacted his former student, who is now a professor in a University there, and asked him to visit Arpana. The professor sent one of his relatives to Arpana’s residence.
On Monday morning,when the professor’s relative visited the apartment, he found the doors broken and the body of Arpana lying on the bed.
‘‘There were signs of trauma in the apartment,’’ said Jim Bove, spokesperson for the Redmond police.
He said Arpana’s apartment was in disarray and termed her death suspicious.
The police are also looking for Arpana’s motorcycle. ‘‘That motorcycle is not on the property, but we don’t want to assume anything. We don’t know if it was stolen.We don’t know if it was in the shop.We don’t know if it was left parked somewhere,’’ the police spokesman was quoted as saying.
The police believe it was not a case of suicide. The body was shifted to the King County medical examiner’s office and the police are speaking to Arpana’s friends and co-workers.
Initial reports suggested that Arpana suffered injuries on her neck.
Arpana was an employee of the EMC Corp in Seattle. She had completed her MS from a US University in New Jersey and took up the job just a couple of months back. Arpana was said to be among the top 20 professionals in embedded systems.
‘‘She spoke to us for the last time on Thursday and informed us that she would be attending a party,’’ her father said. It is learnt that Arpana had attended a Halloween party along with friends. Jinaga said the authorities in Seattle had not yet contacted them.
Arpana was the eldest daughter of the professor who hails from Karnataka.
Almost eight people, mostly students, from the State have been killed in the past one year in the US.