BENGALURU: A brutal crime in east Bengaluru has come to light, revealing a murder that was first mistaken for a house fire. Karnal Kurai K, a second-year pre-university student, allegedly smothered 34-year-old software engineer Sharmila Kushalappa after she refused his advances, and then set her flat on fire in a calculated attempt to destroy evidence. The victim, a native of Mangaluru, worked with Accenture and lived alone in a rented flat in Subramanya Layout, Ramamurthynagar. On the night of January 3, Sharmila was found unconscious inside her locked two-bedroom apartment after a fire broke out. She was later declared brought dead at the hospital, with initial suspicion pointing to smoke inhalation — a theory investigators would soon disprove. The accused, Karnal, a student from Arasunagar in Virajpet, Kodagu district, lived with his mother in the same building, next door to Sharmila’s flat. Police arrested him and remanded him to three days of custody after his confession. Investigators said the case took a decisive turn when forensic and postmortem findings contradicted the assumption that Sharmila had died due to smoke inhalation. Ramamurthynagar police received a complaint from Sharmila’s friend, K Rohit, who suspected foul play. On the night of the incident, at 10.30 pm, the building owner alerted the fire department after noticing smoke. Fire personnel broke open the locked door and doused the flames. Sharmila was found lying motionless near the kitchen and rushed to hospital. Police noted injuries on her hands and other signs of a struggle, which raised doubts about the initial cause of death. The autopsy confirmed that the injuries were inflicted prior to the fire and inconsistent with accidental burns. Medical experts concluded she had been smothered just before losing consciousness. Karnal reportedly entered Sharmila’s flat through a sliding window at 9 pm. When confronted, he expressed his desire towards her, which she resisted, shouting at him to leave. Enraged, he allegedly held her mouth and nose shut, causing her to lose consciousness. To cover up his crime, he reportedly removed her bloodstained clothes and set them on fire before escaping through the same window. The flames later spread to other parts of the flat. Police said the accused’s actions demonstrated a calculated attempt to erase evidence and conceal his crime, turning what initially appeared to be a tragic accident into a chilling act of premeditated murder.
