A tragic fire incident in Bengaluru&rsquo;s Ramamurthy Nagar has now been confirmed as a planned murder, with police arresting an 18-year-old man in connection with the killing of a 34-year-old software professional.
The victim, Sharmila, a native of Mangaluru, had been living in an apartment at Subramanya Layout for around a year and a half. She worked at a private IT firm located close to her home and was alone in the flat on the night of the incident, as her roommate was away in her hometown.
The incident took place late on January 3, when a fire broke out inside one of the rooms of the apartment around 11 pm. Thick smoke quickly spread through the house, prompting neighbours to alert the authorities. Fire and emergency services rushed to the scene, extinguished the flames and sent the body for a post-mortem. At first, the case was believed to be an accidental death caused by an electrical short circuit and smoke inhalation.
However, forensic examination and findings from the Forensic Science Laboratory raised serious doubts about the initial conclusion. Investigators discovered signs that the fire had been deliberately started in an attempt to destroy evidence and mislead authorities.
Police later arrested Karnal Kurai, an 18-year-old from Kerala who lived in the same building and had known the victim for nearly two years. Investigators believe the crime was driven by his growing obsession with Sharmila. Evidence collected so far suggests that the murder was planned in advance and that the fire was used as a cover-up to disguise the killing.
The accused is currently being questioned to reconstruct the sequence of events, confirm the motive and determine whether anyone else was involved. Further details are expected as the investigation continues.
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Blaze first seen as accident now linked to a planned killing in Ramamurthy Nagar

Bengaluru Techie Murder Case Uncovered After Fire

Blaze first seen as accident now linked to a planned killing in Ramamurthy Nagar

January 12, 2026 | 15:23 IST