A 34-year-old woman software engineer was found dead in her Bengaluru apartment on 3 January 2026. Initial reports suggested she died from suffocation caused by a fire in her flat. The deceased, who worked for a major IT firm, was alone at home at the time of the incident. Police and fire services responded after neighbours noticed smoke, and the woman was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
According to The News Minute, the investigation shifted after forensic and post-mortem reports indicated injuries inconsistent with accidental burns. The autopsy revealed that the woman had been smothered before the fire started, and there were signs of a struggle. Police identified an 18-year-old male neighbour as the primary suspect and detained him for questioning.
As reported by The Indian Express, the accused, a student from Virajpet in Kodagu district, lived with his mother in the same building. He allegedly entered the victim’s flat through a sliding window, confronted her, and demanded sexual favours. When she resisted, he smothered her, causing her to lose consciousness. The suspect then set fire to the flat in an attempt to destroy evidence and fled with the victim’s mobile phone.
Coverage revealed that the accused confessed to the crime during police interrogation. He admitted to entering the flat with the intention of seeking sexual favours and, after being rejected, killed the victim.
The police stated that the fire was deliberately set to mislead investigators and create the appearance of an accidental death. The accused was booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including murder and destruction of evidence.
The police stated that the fire was deliberately set to mislead investigators and create the appearance of an accidental death. The accused was booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including murder and destruction of evidence.
“As the investigation progressed, it became clear that this was not an accident but a planned murder made to look like a fire mishap. The accused attempted to create a false narrative of an electrical fire to mislead investigators,” said a police officer, as quoted in the coverage.
Police findings following technical analysis showed that the suspect was using the victim’s mobile phone, which was missing from the scene. This evidence, combined with forensic results and witness statements, led to the arrest. The accused was remanded to police custody for further investigation.
The sequence of events as established by authorities began with the suspect entering the flat around 9 pm, confronting the victim, and then committing the crime after his advances were rejected. He attempted to eliminate evidence by burning the victim’s clothes and other items before escaping through the same window.
“Evidence suggests the accused had planned the murder in advance and used fire as a cover-up,” a police official stated, according to the investigation summary.
Further details emerged during the probe that the victim’s flatmate was away at the time, and the accused was aware of her absence. The police emphasised that the arrest was based on strong technical and circumstantial evidence, including the recovery of the victim’s phone and forensic analysis of the crime scene.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.