Bengaluru: A 41-year-old cab driver and his associate was arrested by Byapannahalli police for murdering their friend on June 28. They later stuffed the body in a gunny bag and abandoned it near a railway track in Byapannahalli.
The accused, identified as Channakeshavalu, and his associate Srinivasalu hatched a plot to eliminate their friend, Venkata Rao, for refusing to return Rs 2,000 he had taken on credit from the duo. They invited Venkat for drinks, made calls from telephone booth and even switched off their cell phones before committing the crime.
However, they ran out of luck after the police stumbled upon CCTV footage of Channakeshavalu accompanying Venkata Rao and this helped them nab the assailants.
The police said the murder had come to light on June 30, after some local residents sensed foul smell emanating from a gunny bag and informed the police. During the investigation the police team, headed by Assistant Commissioner B.L. Venugopal, verified the CCTV footage in the area and came across a blurred image of Venkata Rao being accompanied by an unidentified person on a motorcycle. Despite repeated attempts to establish the identity of the suspect, the police could not get a clear picture.
Later the police verified the call detail records of Venkata Rao where they found accused Channakeshavalu’s number. They found that Chanakeshavalu’s phone was switched a day prior to the murder. They summoned Chanakeshavalu and after a detailed questioning he confessed to the crime.
