Man accused of killing woman in Hubballi arrested, say police

The accused who was absconding after killing 22-year-old Anjali Ambiger in Hubballi was arrested after he fell off a train while trying to flee after attacking another woman on Friday

The accused who was absconding after killing 22-year-old Anjali Ambiger in Hubballi was arrested after he fell off a train while trying to flee after attacking another woman on Friday, police said.

The accused was arrested from a railway station. (Getty Images)

Girish Savant alias Vishwa was arrested by Hubballi police while trying to escape after attacking another woman on a train in Davanagere district.

According to police, Savant, who killed Anjali earlier this week, had fled to Bengaluru after committing the crime. Later, he boarded the Vishwamanava Express with the intention to lie low either in Goa or Maharashtra.

During the journey, a woman who boarded the train in Tumakuru objected to Girish’s inappropriate staring, leading to a heated argument between the two. Soon after, Girish followed her to the bathroom and attacked her with a knife. Her screams for help alerted other passengers in the train. In an attempt to flee, Girish jumped from the moving train near Mayakonda railway station, sustaining severe head injuries, police said.

Davanagere railway police identified Girish and informed Hubballi police, who had been searching for him. Girish underwent preliminary treatment at a primary health centre in Chittageri before being transferred to Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) hospital in Hubballi.

The woman attacked by Girish was also treated at KIMS as an outpatient. The Davanagere railway police have filed an FIR against Girish.

Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Renuka Sukumar, who had formed eight teams to nab Girish, confirmed his arrest. “Girish was thrashed by the passengers and was found in a semi-conscious state. We will interrogate him as soon as he regains consciousness,” she said, adding, “His attempt to escape to Goa or Maharashtra after the murder failed due to his attack on the other woman.”

After killing Anjali in Hubballi early last Wednesday, he travelled to Haveri, then Mysuru, and finally boarded a train from Bengaluru, where he was caught for the subsequent attack, police said.

Preliminary investigations showed that Girish and Anjali knew each other, however, Anjali had allegedly blocked Girish’s phone number after receiving money from him, which enraged him and led to the fatal confrontation. Police said the findings are being further verified.

Anjali, an orphan, was living with her grandmother and younger sister. She met Girish while working at a food catering company in Hubballi.