The CCTV footage of the murder of a 24-year-old woman from Bihar, a private firm employee, emerged on Friday, showing the brutality of the attack and the unfortunate apathy of the hostel mates.
The woman, Kriti Kumari, was murdered on the premises of her Paying Guest (PG) hostel in the Koramangala locality of Bengaluru on Tuesday.
The preliminary probe revealed that the murderer was Abhishek, a native of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Abhishek was in a relationship with Kriti Kumari's friend and colleague. Abhishek's lover hailed from Maharashtra.
Abhishek used to visit the PG hostel and often travelled to Bengaluru from Bhopal to date his girlfriend. The relationship, however, soured between them, and the victim and her friends started to avoid him. Sometime ago Abhishek came to the PG hostel and created a ruckus following which Kriti Kumari helped her friend shift to a new PG hostel, and both stopped taking his calls.
Enraged by this, Abhishek came to the PG hostel where Kriti Kumari was staying on Tuesday night and committed the crime.
The CCTV footage shows Abhishek walking towards Kriti's room holding a plastic bag in his hand. Abhishek knocks on the door and enters the room. Soon after, Abhishek is seen dragging her out and Kriti struggles to get out of his clutches.
Abhishek, who was holding a knife in one hand, grabs Kriti's neck. Even as Kriti struggles to avoid being stabbed, the killer manages to stab her repeatedly. As Kriti loses the strength to defend herself, the killer takes his time and attacks her again.
Even after Kriti collapses, the killer holds her by the hair and stabs her. He then takes a step away from her, and after seeing her still breathing, he tries to slit her throat again before running away.
Kriti manages to sit up after the brutal attack and cries for help. The PG hostel mates slowly open their doors but none dare to help Kriti. They are seen trying to make phone calls. They talk among themselves as Kriti manages to sit for some time, bleeding severely.
One of the young women staying is seen slowly opening the door, peeping out, and then going back to her room. Kriti pleads with another woman standing at a distance. As the girl standing at a distance takes steps towards her, Kriti collapses finally, the CCTV footage shows.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda said on Friday that the police have formed three special teams to nab the accused. Sources said that the teams have gone to Bhopal and other places in Madhya Pradesh. The accused Abhishek had switched off his phone and disappeared, sources said.
(With inputs from IANS)
