Bengaluru software engineer kills lover and fakes suicide after she chooses another man: Report

The two had been in a relationship for years, having separated from their respective spouses eight years ago.

A Bengaluru-based software engineer has been arrested for allegedly poisoning his former lover after learning that she intended to marry someone else.

The police are now waiting for a forensic report. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The incident unfolded when 53-year-old Imad Basha allegedly took drastic action after his 45-year-old lover, Uzma Khan, decided to marry a man from Australia, abandoning their past relationship, Indian Express reported.

According to the report, the two had been in a relationship for years, having separated from their respective spouses eight years ago. Though their relationship failed to evolve into marriage, they remained in touch, with Basha even moving to Mumbai for a time. However, he later returned to Bengaluru, and Uzma frequently visited him at his apartment in Kundalahalli.

What happened on New Year's Eve?

Investigators discovered that Basha had cloned Uzma's phone, gaining access to her personal messages. One of the messages revealed her plans to marry a man from abroad, a decision that deeply upset Basha. On New Year's Eve, Basha invited Uzma to his flat, where they reportedly spent time until the early hours of the next day, the report added.

However, shortly after their meeting, Basha sent alarming messages to relatives claiming that he and Uzma were about to take their own lives due to issues with his wife. This prompted Uzma’s brother to immediately contact the police. By the time officers arrived, Uzma was dead, while Basha, who was alive but in distress, was rushed to a hospital.

Authorities soon learned that Uzma had died several hours before Basha’s messages were sent. The cause of her death was revealed to be poisoning, with Basha reportedly consuming a non-lethal substance to stage a suicide attempt, as per the publication. Further investigations suggested that Uzma may have been strangled before being poisoned.

The police are now waiting for a forensic report to confirm whether there was any evidence of strangulation.