A Bengaluru court on Thursday sentenced a 38-year-old techie to life imprisonment for the 2016 murder of his woman friend and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000. The prosecution relied largely on the 'last seen' theory to secure the conviction.
Details of the Case
Sukhbir Singh was found guilty of murdering Kusum Rani Singla, a 31-year-old techie working at IBM, who lived in an apartment in Kadugodi, Bengaluru. Singh, from Haryana's Palwal district, had previously worked with Yahoo and Accenture in Bengaluru between 2011 and 2013 before moving to Delhi and other places.
The Last Seen Theory
According to the chargesheet, the victim was last seen alive when she came down to the security gate to escort Singh to her flat on January 19, 2016. CCTV footage showed Singh leaving around 3:30 pm, but alone. The postmortem report estimated that the victim was murdered between 12:30 pm and 3 pm. Statements from security guards and others who saw the two heading to the flat, along with CCTV visuals, played a vital role in clinching the conviction.
Handwriting experts also confirmed that the signature in the visitors' book was that of Singh, said public prosecutor Meenakumari Rajavamshi.
Discovery of the Murder
The murder came to light around 8 pm when Kusum's roommate, Nidhi Sharma, returned home and found the main door ajar with blood-stained footprints near the door. Kusum was found dead with blood all over the room. She had strangulation marks on her neck and sharp stab injuries on the head. Police later found that Kusum's phone, credit and debit cards were missing.
Evidence and Arrest
Singh's blood-stained clothes were recovered from the dustbin of an apparel shop at a nearby shopping mall. After the murder, Singh went to the shop, bought new clothes, and changed. He used Kusum's debit card to make the payment. He left for Haryana the same night after withdrawing Rs 30,000 using Kusum's card. Singh was arrested on January 21 from his village Mandkola.
Background of the Friendship
Kusum and Singh became friends on Facebook in December 2015. Police said Singh had been pressuring Kusum for a loan of Rs 50,000. She refused and reportedly told him that it was unbecoming of a man to repeatedly ask a woman for a loan, said police sources.
Timeline of the Murder
- 11 am: Nidhi, Kusum's flatmate, leaves for office.
- 12:30 pm: Sukhbir Singh arrives to meet Kusum. He enters his name in the visitors' logbook. Kusum comes down and takes him to her flat.
- 2:45 to 3 pm: Sukhbir strangles her with a laptop cord, then pierces her head with a sharp object.
- 3:30 pm: Sukhbir leaves with Kusum's debit card and phone.
- 8 pm: He flies to Haryana.
The court's verdict brings closure to a case that highlighted the dangers of online friendships and financial disputes leading to violent crimes.
