Two arrested for murdering 75-year-old woman over Rs 20,000 loan in Ramanagara

The Ramanagara rural police have arrested two individuals for allegedly strangling a 75-year-old woman to death, stealing her gold jewellery, and dumping her body near a railway track in Sangabasavanadoddi village, Ramanagara district. The victim, Sushilamma, went missing on June 15 after going to recover a Rs 20,000 loan, and her decomposed body was discovered on June 21.

The arrested suspects have been identified as Girija, aged 36, who was the borrower, and her friend Mahesh, aged 42. Following the arrests, the police recovered 39 grams of stolen gold jewellery that belonged to the deceased woman.

According to the police, Sushilamma left her home on June 15 after informing her family that she was heading to collect the Rs 20,000 she had loaned to Girija. When she failed to return, her family searched for her and subsequently filed a missing person complaint. In an attempt to avoid raising suspicion, Girija actively joined the family's search efforts.

On June 21, Sushilamma’s decomposed body was found near a railway track on the outskirts of Sangabasavanadoddi village. Upon recovering the body, her family noticed that the 39 grams of gold jewellery she regularly wore was missing, leading them to suspect foul play and file another police complaint.

During the investigation, police discovered that an argument had broken out at Girija’s house, during which Girija strangled Sushilamma. Girija then called Mahesh, who allegedly helped pack the body into a gunny bag and dump it near the railway track to destroy evidence. The duo then stole the victim's gold ornaments.

A senior police officer stated that the department examined the victim’s movements before she went missing and gathered technical and circumstantial evidence to identify the accused. Further investigation into the case is currently in progress.