A shocking incident in Bengaluru has led to the death of two individuals, unravelling a tragic tale of a relationship gone awry. C Ramanjinappa, a 45-year-old employee at the Devanahalli taluk office, allegedly murdered his girlfriend, Saroja J, a 40-year-old Kannada professor at a private college, before setting the vehicle ablaze and later dying on railway tracks.
How the Events Unfolded
On Saturday morning, Ramanjinappa borrowed a hatchback from his friend Suresh Kumar around 6:30 am, citing a family medical emergency. He drove to Devanahalli to pick up Saroja, with whom police confirmed he was in a relationship. The duo spent the morning visiting Nandi Hills and nearby locations. By afternoon, they reached the secluded outskirts of Jinkebachhahalli in Doddaballapur.
According to police, an argument escalated inside the vehicle. Ramanjinappa allegedly attacked Saroja with a hammer, rendering her unconscious. He then moved her to the rear seat, poured petrol over the car, and set it on fire. Witnesses reported seeing a man fleeing from the burning vehicle with his clothes also catching fire.
Investigation and Discovery
Local residents alerted police after spotting the blaze. Fire tenders rushed to the spot and doused the flames, only to find a charred body inside the car. Meanwhile, Suresh Kumar received an automated crash alert on his phone. When he tried contacting Ramanjinappa, his phone was switched off. Police traced the vehicle using its chassis number and informed Kumar, who confirmed that Ramanjinappa had taken the car that morning.
A missing report for Saroja was also received by police on Saturday night. Burnt ornaments recovered from the car helped officers establish her identity, later confirmed by her husband, Jayashankar. A special team led by inspector Sadiq Pasha was formed to investigate the case.
Body Found on Railway Tracks
On Sunday morning, railway police alerted investigators after finding a mutilated body on tracks near Bidadi in Bengaluru South. An Aadhaar card found nearby identified the deceased as Ramanjinappa. By then, a statewide alert had already been issued as police searched for him in connection with the burning car case.
On Sunday afternoon, Saroja’s husband registered a formal complaint against Ramanjinappa, accusing him of killing his wife. Police are now probing the sequence of events that led from a weekend outing to a double death investigation across two locations.
This tragic case highlights the dangers of unresolved personal conflicts and the devastating consequences that can follow. Authorities continue to investigate the motives and circumstances surrounding the incident.
