Monica murder case: Police still in the dark

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Bangalore: Joint commissioner of police B Dayananda on Thursday said they haven’t yet got any definite clues in the Monica Srivastava murder case. Police are investigating many leads but haven’t zeroed in on any suspect. He said there’ll be a breakthrough soon and a special team has gone to Varanasi, Monica’s home town.
Meanwhile, Monica’s sister Anjali too has left for Varanasi. According to her neighbors, she cleaned up the house before leaving. The neighbors are not sure if she has vacated the house. Police sources said that during the initial interaction with Anjali, she didn’t voice her suspicion about anyone but later on, she mentioned some names. 
    Dayananda said deputy commissioner of police Krishna Bhatt has been given the mandate to create special teams if required but none has been put together so far. However, DCP Bhatt said many teams are working on the case. 
    Monica’s neighbors believe someone known to Monica committed the crime. A security guard in the adjacent building said there used to be a dog in front of her house and it would bark loudly every time a stranger went there. “I was in my room the entire day when the incidented happened. That day the dog didn’t make any noise at all and if someone went in, it was someone it knew,” he said. 
    On the day of the murder, police ruled out murder for gain as all the valuables in the house were intact. A week later, cops are revisiting this theory. Fingerprints and footprints in the house did not lead to anything concrete. According to some investigating officers, they were still unable to identify the fingersprints. 
23-year-old youth held for killing homemaker Bangalore: Parappana Agrahara police arrested Nagabhushan N Reddy, 23, for allegedly strangling a homemaker near Muneshwara Layout in Kudlu, off Hosur Road, on April 7. 
    The accused, a native of Pavagada was deep in debt. The victim, Padma, 42, wife of Venkatamana Reddy, made a living selling saris on instalment basis. Both were residents of Muneshwara Layout. 
    On April 7, Nagabhushan took Padma on the pretext of introducing her to some prospective customers. While they were walking through an isolated field, Nagabhushan pounced on her and strangled her to death using a nylon rope. He fled with her jewellery. 
    “By sheer luck, Venkataramana was at home and knew that his wife had gone with Nagabhushan,” police said. 
    Meanwhile, Nagabhushan’s bid to sell her jewellery came to naught as most of it was fake. He later threw away the jewellery after his attempts to pawn them failed. 
    Following the leads provided by Venkataramana, police arrested Nagabhushan on Wednesday. TNN

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