Bengaluru, Jan 15: A day after 34-year-old advocate Amith Keshavamurthy was shot inside his friend's car near Hessaraghatta in Bengaluru, police on Saturday arrested realtor Gopalakrishna and his son Rajesh G for the murder and recovered the pistol used in the crime.
Even though it was initially reported that Gopalakrishna murdered Amith for his alleged affair with his daughter-in-law Shruthi, the investigation has revealed that the actual killer was Rajesh himself. Cops found gun powder on Rajesh's right palm and this proved he had pulled the trigger.
According to Rajesh, his wife Shruthi had left their home around 1pm, saying she was going to a meeting at the gram panchayat office in Railway Gollahalli.
"I had installed a GPS unit in her car last Monday. On Friday, I suspected she was headed somewhere else, and 15 minutes after she left, the GPS unit showed she was driving towards the Madanayakanahalli Junction," Rajesh told police.
Rajesh decided to follow her and directed his driver Kumar to bring his Toyota Innova (KA 05 MP 6465). Gopalakrishna, who wanted to purchase sweets and sugarcane pieces for Sankranti, joined his son. Earlier in the day, Gopalakrishna had purchased camphor, coconuts and other puja items.
"Using the GPS unit, I tracked the car to Acharya PU College and told my driver Kumar to go there. From a distance, I spotted Shruthi's car parked there," Rajesh said.
WhatsApp message
One morning in the first week of December, Shruthi had gone for a bath. A WhatsApp message on her iPhone read 'chinna.. what are you doing?' ('my dear...what are you doing?'). It was from an unknown number and her husband Rakesh couldn't read the entire message as the screen was locked. But he guessed it was her friend Amith's message.
"The sender's number was displayed on the screen and Rajesh noted it down. A few days later, Rajesh asked a friend to call that number from a coin-booth phone and ask for some Srinivas," sources said.
According to Rajesh, his friend followed the instructions. A male voice said 'Wrong number' and disconnected the call," an investigating officer said.
"This led Rajesh to believe that Shruthi was still meeting Amith. In the second week of December, he tried to follow her car, but was caught by Shruthi who was upset that he suspected her fidelity," police sources said.
Once, Rajesh, who was following Shruthi's vehicle on a motor bike, stopped on seeing her car parked outside a school near Bagalagunte."Rajesh went near the car and at the same time, Shruthi, who was standing near a bakery, reached the car. She fought with Rajesh, asking him why he was following her," police sources said.
Affair or friendship?
On the other hand, Amith's uncle Manjunatha Gowda said Amith did not have an affair with Shruthi. "It was only friendship; it was nothing more than that. Amith was a lawyer and Shruthi a block development officer. Amith was fighting several land disputes in the Nelamangala Judicial First Magistrate Court. Shruthi was consulting him over a government land issue. On Friday noon, Shruthi called Amit, asking him to meet her near Acharya College to discuss that dispute. Shruthi had brought documents and papers about it. If you see the car in which Amit was shot, you'll find these land documents and letters. They are in the pouch of the left-front door," he said, trying to hold back his tears.
"We're deeply hurt by the affair reference. Rajesh always suspected his wife's fidelity whenever Shruthi spoke to men," he said, adding, "This suspicion has shattered three children's lives -- Shruthi's daughters have lost a mother and their father is in jail. Amith's son lost a father," he asked.
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