Bengaluru: The murder of a senior government geologist in Bengaluru this weekend, which was rumoured to be linked to the mining mafia, is now alleged to be the handiwork of a former employee out to seek revenge for being fired from his position.
Prathima K.S., a 45-year-old geologist at Karnataka’s mines and geology department, was found dead with her throat slit at her residence Sunday in Doddakallasandra in Bengaluru south.
The city police Monday arrested a person named Kiran in connection with the case. He has since confessed to the crime, police said.
Rahul Kumar Shahapurwad, deputy commissioner of police (south), said the accused was apprehended from M.M. Hills area in Chamarajanagar, about 200 km from Bengaluru.
“For the last eight years, he (Kiran) had been working as a contract driver with the mines and geology department, and for about four years, under the deceased (Prathima). In the course of four years, if he made any mistake, Prathima would scold him and warn him of action. He did not take it lightly,” Shahapurwad told reporters in Bengaluru.
“Recently, (about two months ago), Kiran was removed from work and, with no salary, he had problems at home. His wife, too, returned to her village,” he added.
Kiran had made multiple attempts to get his job back, including trying to approach Prathima, but to no avail, the DCP said, adding that Kiran had previously tried to meet Prathima at her office as well as her home.
“On the evening of 4 November, he waited near her house, followed her in and killed her,” Shahapurwad said.
According to the police, Kiran used Prathima’s stole to strangle her and then used a knife from the house to slit her throat.
‘Mining mafia’ allegations
The murder has occasioned strong political reactions, with opposition parties alleging a collapse of law and order under the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka.
This political fallout was largely due to allegations that Prathima was murdered by the “mining mafia” as she had filed a complaint about illegal quarrying and other activities allegedly being carried out by powerful politicians and their aides.
There were also allegations that Kiran, who was Prathima’s driver, used to leak details of raids to be conducted by the department, alerting those involved in illegal activities.
However, these allegations could not be independently confirmed by ThePrint.
The police said that only a personal motive had come to light during the investigation so far, and other angles had been ruled out as of now.
“If anything new comes up (in the investigation), it will definitely be probed,” Shahapurwad said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s BJP) Bengaluru South MP, Tejasvi Surya, wrote on X Monday: “The cold-blooded murder of a young mines and geology department officer in Bengaluru by suspected mining mafia elements is a shocker to the whole state.”
The cold blooded murder of a young mines and geology department officer in Bengaluru by suspected mining mafia elements is a shocker to the whole state.
It is a glaring indication of the absolute collapse of law order and emboldening of these mafia elements under the Congress…
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) November 6, 2023
The BJP’s alliance partner, the Janata Dal (Secular), said there was an environment of “fearlessness” in Karnataka.
“There is no protection for officials nor ordinary citizens in this government. That a senior official was murdered in their house… how is this climate of fearlessness there? Because of the failures of the government,” H.D. Kumaraswamy, former chief minister and JD(S) leader, told reporters Monday.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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