Bengaluru delivery agent, 19, abducted, brutally murdered by five men after failed relationship

A 19-year-old delivery agent from Bengaluru's Devanahalli was brutally abducted and murdered by five men after a failed relationship with a woman, police said on Sunday.
According to a Times of India report, the victim, identified as Preetham R, was employed by an online grocery firm and resided in Prashanth Nagar, Devanahalli. Authorities have arrested five suspects in connection with his death: Srikanth, Shiva Kumar, Charan, Sanjay, and Kaushik, aged between 22 and 25. They live in Gantiganahalli and nearby areas, the report added.
(Also Read: 'Brain spilled out': Chilling details of Bengaluru lawyer death)
According to the police, as reported by the publication, Preetham had been in a relationship with a 21-year-old woman studying Ayurveda. However, as the relationship soured, the woman distanced herself from Preetham. Unable to accept the breakup, Preetham reportedly made several attempts to reconcile, which the woman considered harassment. She informed her family about his persistent behaviour, which led to the involvement of her cousin, Srikanth, and his friends.
Srikanth and his associates confronted Preetham about his actions. Despite warnings, Preetham allegedly continued to pursue the woman, leading to a violent confrontation. On the evening of May 2, around 10.30 pm, the five suspects forcibly abducted Preetham from the vicinity of his workplace, dragging him into a vehicle. What followed was a harrowing two-hour ordeal during which the victim was assaulted while being driven to various locations.
Investigators revealed that the suspects repeatedly punched and kicked Preetham while he was inside the moving vehicle. At one point, they stopped at an isolated area to continue the brutal attack, concentrating their blows on his face, causing severe facial injuries. The assailants reportedly abandoned Preetham's unconscious body near the government primary school at Neeragantipalya village in Devanahalli when they realized the extent of their actions.
Preetham's father, Ramachandra H, grew concerned when his son, who was expected to return home by 3 am, hadn't arrived by 6 am the following day. After learning from his son's colleagues about the abduction, Ramachandra joined the search. Around 7.15 am, he was informed about an unidentified body found near Neeragantipalya. The family faced difficulty in identifying Preetham due to the severe facial injuries. After confirming the identity, Ramachandra filed a formal complaint with the police.
In his complaint, Ramachandra also claimed that the five suspects had previously assaulted Preetham about five days before the fatal incident, further escalating the tension between them, the report further added.
The police took all five suspects into custody on Sunday evening. They are reportedly laborers involved in various jobs. According to TOI, authorities said that the suspects are currently being questioned, with the investigation ongoing.
(Also Read: Karnataka Home Minister rules out NIA probe into Mangaluru murder, says police have arrested eight)

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Hindu

20 minutes ago

• The Hindu

Probe into Suhas Shetty, Ashraf murders conducted using evidence-based scientific method, says Police Commissioner

Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy on Monday said the police have probed into the murders of Suhas Shetty at Bajpe and Ashraf at Kudupu using an evidence-based scientific method. Anyone with any additional information or evidence may provide it directly to the police instead of posting it on social media platforms, he said. With the Suhas Shetty case now being taken up by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Mr. Reddy provided details of the two investigations conducted by the Mangaluru police to the media here. 'Whenever we provided details about the progress of the probe to those who claimed justice had not been served for the victims and their families, the information was often misused,' he regretted. Police have so far examined more than 100 people and will continue to investigate others if they find any evidence in the Ashraf murder case. If people attempt to mislead the police and public through social media posts, action would be taken against them under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita, Mr. Reddy cautioned. While the police would not harass innocent people, they would not spare the culprits, he asserted. There were allegations against the police that the accused had previously planned the place to attack Suhas Shetty, that many people had assembled prior to the attack, indicating they were party to it and that two women helped the accused to flee. The police meticulously examined CCTV and other video footage of the incident and realised that people instantly gathered at the spot when a car initially hit Suhas' vehicle, and that the two women had in fact objected to the action of the accused, the Police Commissioner clarified. Initial lapses There were initial lapses on the part of the police in not registering Ashraf's death as a murder case. Action was being taken against the officials concerned, even as they were being investigated, Mr. Reddy added. Additionally, there were allegations that the police did not take action against a few individuals, including the husband of the former local councillor. Though he was said to be present at the location, there was no evidence that he either assaulted the victim or provoked assailants, Mr. Reddy said. While a few people were assaulting the victim, a few others continued to play cricket at the location. Therefore, all of them could not be held parties to the crime. Probe was conducted based on available photographs of the location, the dead body, on the basis of footwear worn by the assailants, etc., in a scientific manner, he said. Regarding hate speech, Mr. Reddy stated that the police have the authority to arrest individuals making provocative speeches on the spot. Even though those accused of delivering hate speeches get bail, repeated offenders would be suitably dealt with under the law, he said.

Mint

an hour ago

• Mint

Who is Srikanth, Tamil actor arrested by Chennai Police for buying cocaine?

The Chennai Police on Monday arrested Tamil actor Srikanth over drug abuse charges and brought in for questioning at the Nungambakkam police station, reported multiple media reports. The police reportedly collected Srikanth's blood samples and sent them for testing. However, after a detailed interrogation, they arrested him for alleged links with Prasad. He has not been formally charged yet, and the police maintain the proceeding will remain evidence-based. Earlier, the Chennai police had arrested Prasad, a former AIADMK functionary, while investigating a pub brawl in the city. Police discovered the involvement of drugs during the probe, which led to the expansion of the investigation. As per the details, Prasad is an expelled AIADMK IT Wing member from Mylapore and was taken into custody after a brawl at a private bar. In that incident, local rowdy Tsunami Sethupathi and others were also involved. On being interrogated, Prasad admitted to supplying of drugs – cocaine – to Srikanth. He added that Srikanth allegedly bought 1 gram of cocaine for ₹ 12,000. Prasad even alleged that Srikanth had used drugs at private parties in Chennai. Apart from Srikanth, actor Krishna's name also surfaced and he too is being investigated. Born in Chennai to a Tamil mother from Kumbhakonam and a Telugu father from Chittor, Srikanth was raised in Hyderabad. His father used to work with the State Bank of India. Srikanth lost his older brother to dengue following his return from the United States. Srikanth uses his name as Sriram in Telugu films to avoid confusion. he married Vandana on 7 September 2008 and has two children. After making an acting debut in 1999 with the television series Jannal - Marabu Kavithaigal, he made his big screen debut with the Tamil film 'Roja Kootam' in 2002. He appeared in his first Telegu film 'Okariki Okaru' in 2003. Among his notable films include Manasellam, Varnajalam, Kana Kandein, Oru Naal Kanavu, Bambara Kannale, Mercury Pookkal, East Coast Road, Poo, Sathurangam, and Nanban. His recent work includes the Tamil films Konjam Kadhal Konjam Modhal, the Telugu film Erracheera, and the JioCinema web series Harikatha, reported Times Now.

Indian Express

an hour ago

• Indian Express

Tamil actor Srikanth arrested on drug charges

Actor Srikanth, known for appearing in Tamil and Telugu films, was arrested by Chennai police on Monday on drug charges. Earlier today, Nungambakkam police questioned the actor and blood samples tested at Kilpauk Government Hospital reportedly confirmed drug use. Srikanth's arrest comes shortly after the arrest of Prasad, a former AIADMK member, who was taken into custody following a pub brawl in Chennai. Prasad was also found to have been using drugs, and Srikanth's name reportedly surfaced during the investigation. Last week, the Nungambakkam police had arrested John, a Ghana native, for possession of 11 gm of cocaine. A report by The New Indian Express states that Srikanth allegedly procured the drugs from John. However, the police hasn't issued any official statement yet. Srikanth made his debut in the 2002 Tamil film Roja Koottam, and later starred in back-to-back hits like April Madhathil, Manasellam, and Parthiban Kanavu. In 2023, he debuted in the Telugu film industry with Okariku Okaru. His other popular films include Kana Kandaen, Adavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, Bose, Poo, Coffee With Kadhal, and Nanban among others. He last appeared in the Tamil film Konjam Kadhal Konjam Modhal, which released in March earlier this year. This is a developing story. Refresh page for updates.