Bengaluru: Female deputy director of Karnataka geology department found murdered

The 43-year-old geologist was alone at her home when the group barged in and killed her.

Updated on: Nov 5, 2023, 15:32:21 IST

By Yamini C S

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In a shocking development, a female Karnataka government officer was killed by a group of unknown persons at her Bengaluru residence. The deceased has been identified as K S Pratima, a 43-year-old senior geologist who worked with the Mines and Geology Department, according to news agency PTI.

Cops have filed a case in the matter, and are on the lookout for the attackers. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun) (Baltimore Sun)

The incident, which came to light on Sunday morning, occurred in Doddakallasandra’s Kuvempu Nagar where the victim lived with her son in a rented house in the first floor of a building. According to police, the crime might have been committed late on Saturday night after she returned home.

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Attackers strangulated her before they slit her throat, officials told the agency. A senior officer said the woman's brother had called her on Saturday night as well as Sunday morning, however, on receiving no response, he went to visit her. “When he came to visit, he found the body. We have checked the CCTV at the entrance of the road,” the senior officer said.

“She has been living there for eight years and she was living with her son. This is a rented house. She was doing well with everyone, there were no problems with anyone,” said Suresh, a neighbour of the victim.

Rahul Kumar Shahapurwad, the DCP for Bengaluru South also spoke to the media and said, “As usual, around 8 pm on Saturday, the deceased Pratima returned home. As she did not respond to phone calls last night and this morning, her elder brother came to her house to check and got to know about her murder. He informed the police.”

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“Forensic and technical teams are at work on the spot. Three teams have been formed for investigation. We will be able to share further information, once we get to know exactly what happened,” he added. There was no theft of any jewellery or valuables from her residence, he further stated.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also assured an inquiry into the incident, saying, “I just got to know about it. We will inquire into it. It seems that she was staying alone (in Bengaluru), while her husband was in his native village. The reason is not yet known, we will inquire into it.”

(With inputs from PTI)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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