A 24-year-old data entry worker and social media enthusiast was taken into custody by Kengeri police after she killed her 36-year-old landlady Divya by strangulation on 10th May to steal her assets while the victim and her 2-year-old child were at home. The accused has been identified as Monika HM from Chintamani in Chikkaballapura district.
As per reports, Monika overspent on luxury items and excessive partying, resulting in an Rs 8 lakh debt and was searching for quick ways to obtain cash. She also wanted to help her boyfriend purchase a goods vehicle (already bought, per some reports) which led her to commit the crime. She then took her victim’s gold chain and claimed innocence, but the authorities found her statements contradictory.
The accused woman had been renting a part of Divya’s residence at Konasandra for the last two to three months. She also worked for a private company as a data entry operator. She identified her boyfriend as her husband. He is a professional driver and would frequently drop by the home. Gurumurthy, the victim’s 39-year-old spouse, owns a salon in Shivanapalya, Kengeri. The murder occurred early in the morning when Gurumurthy had left for work. Divya and her two-year-old toddler were at home when Monika killed her and made off with a thirty-six-gram gold chain. Later, she pledged the item to a pawnbroker in the area. The residence was built by Gurumurthy four months ago.
The young woman reportedly quit her work a few days ago and was having trouble paying off her bills. The murder was discovered after Divya didn’t answer Gurumurthy’s repeated calls when he dialled Monika to check on his spouse’s whereabouts. However, she informed him that she had left the house. Gurumurthy discovered his wife dead in a room when he returned home a few hours later and notified the cops. The police believed the culprit was well-known to the family because there was no sign of a forced entrance into the place.
Monika misled the police by alleging that she was taking a bath and kept to herself in the house when they started an investigation. She was questioned by a squad led by police inspector Kotreshi BM. She continued to make contradictory claims and acted strangely. She further informed that two individuals had arrived requesting to rent the residence. However, the police double-checked the details, examined the CCTV tape and concluded that she was lying and there were no visits. Monika was then apprehended by them and after a thorough inquiry, she confessed to the crime, according to the authorities. They also found the gold chain based on the confession and they are still probing whether her male acquaintance was involved.
Monika was active on social media and enjoyed creating reels, per Kengeri police. She would travel and party all the time. She had even purchased a vehicle for her boyfriend. Gurumurthy and his family occupied the first level of the building and Monika had been living on the ground floor. According to the police, on 10th May, as Divya was busy in the kitchen, Monika strangled her to death with a white lace used for garments.
The incident came to light when Gurumuthy came home at 1.30 pm. Gurumurthy reported to the police that he and his mother departed for work at 8.45 am. He dropped his mother off at her job and then headed to his Shivanahalli salon. At 11:30 am, he contacted his wife on her cell phone, but she didn’t answer. Subsequently, he contacted one of his tenants and asked her to inquire about her wife. The latter told her that his wife was outdoors.
Gurumurthy contacted his wife about twenty-five times, hoping to get a reply, but to no avail. He hurried home, sensing danger and spotted Divya in the kitchen, lying face down. He doused her face with water, believing her to be unconscious. There was still no response and she had lost her gold chain. He called the police after informing the neighbours.
