Someone known to Prathima gained entry into the house and killed her, said the cops, adding that she was estranged from her husband.
Prathima worked as a senior geologist with the Mines and Geology Department in the state.
A 43-year-old senior geologist at the Karnataka Mines and Geology Department was allegedly found murdered at her house in Doddakallasandra in Subramanyapura in South Bengaluru on Sunday, 5 November.
The deceased was identified as KS Prathima. The incident came to light at around 8.30 am on Sunday, when her brother visited her after phone calls to her had gone unanswered from Saturday night.
He raised an alarm, which alerted the neighbours. They then informed the police about it.
The Subramanyapura police rushed to the spot and found Prathima’s body on the floor.
A senior police officer said: “Her throat has been slit. Prima facie inquiries revealed no valuables were missing from her house. But we need to confirm it. We do not know the motive behind the crime.”
Deceased Prathima’s ID card recovered by the cops
According to police sources, Prathima and her husband are estranged and stayed in separate places.
Prathima’s husband was in Thirthahalli in the Shivamogga district when the incident took place.
A police officer said the initial probe revealed that Prathima was in her office until 6 pm on Saturday and returned home by 8 pm. Her car driver confirmed dropping her at her house.
The murder occurred anywhere between 8 pm on Saturday to 8 am on Sunday, said the police sources.
Prathima lived in a double-storied independent house located next to Gokul Apartment, where there were no CCTV cameras, according to the police. Her office was at the VV Towers in central Bengaluru.
The Subramanyapura police have registered a case of murder and are probing it from all angles.
Police officials said they suspected that the incident took place on Saturday night after Prathima returned to her residence at Doddakallasandra.
According to the police, the death was due to strangulation followed by throat-slitting with a sharp weapon.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Division) Rahul Kumar Shahapurwad visited the crime spot.
He subsequently told South First: “There was no forced entry into the house. Following a prima facie analysis, our men say no valuables were missing. Since there is no CCTV surveillance at the building where she was residing, it is difficult to conclude at this time who visited the apartment on Saturday night.”
He, however, added: “At present, we have some definite clues on which we are working.”
The police added that, according to their findings, Prathima returned to her home at around 8 pm on Saturday and did not respond to any calls — from her colleagues or her brother — till Sunday morning, which prompted her sibling to check up on her.
Shahapurwad said that forensic and technical teams were at work on the spot and three teams had been formed for the investigation.
Noting that Prathima was residing in the same house over the past five years, and that she had been working in the Bengaluru Urban district for the last four years, the DCP said she was living alone.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, after getting to know of the murder from a group of reporters, said that the case would be probed thoroughly.
“I just got to know about it. We will inquire into it. It seems that she was staying alone (in Bengaluru), while her husband was in his native village. The reason is not yet known, we will inquire into it,” he said.
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