An elderly woman was murdered, her body kept hidden inside a house for two days, and later dumped near a lake, said police in Karnataka.
The incident was reported from Kooguru village in Anekal taluk near Bengaluru.
The crime was uncovered after an investigation by Sarjapur Police.
The victim, Bhadramma (68), a resident of Kooguru, went missing on October 30.
Despite extensive searches by her family and villagers, she could not be traced.
A missing person complaint was registered at Sarjapur Police Station on October 31, prompting police to initiate a large-scale search operation in nearby areas.
Days later, on November 6, police received a crucial lead indicating that Bhadramma was last seen visiting the home of a woman named Deepa, who lived in the same village.
Acting on this information, police detained Deepa for questioning.
During interrogation, she confessed to the murder, revealing a chilling chain of events.
Deepa had allegedly lured the elderly woman to her house under the pretext of offering Kajjaya, a traditional sweet snack, and then strangled her to steal her gold chain.
After committing the crime, Deepa packed the body in a large bag and kept it inside her home for two days, police said.
As the odour from decomposition grew, the cops said, she transferred the body into another bag.
She then called her son, telling him they needed to throw out garbage, police said.
Together, they allegedly carried the body to Doddathimmasandra Lake and dumped it among the bushes near the lakebed, according to police.
Deepa, according to the police, returned home and continued her daily routine as if nothing had happened. When questioned by Bhadramma's worried family, she maintained her innocence, claiming the elderly woman had already returned home.
The Sarjapur Police pieced together the missing links.
They recovered the body, sent it for post-mortem examination, and arrested Deepa.
Preliminary investigations suggest the motive behind the murder was greed for gold.
Police have registered a murder case under relevant IPC sections at Sarjapur Police Station.
Further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of involvement of Deepa's family members and to trace any missing jewellery or evidence related to the crime.
