Actor among three arrested for murder of live-in partner in Bengaluru

The Bagalagunte police have arrested three persons, including an actor, in connection with the murder of a 45-year-old man whose decomposed body was found inside a rented house.

The accused have been identified as Bindu, her alleged lover Vinay, and his associate Dhanush. The victim, Mohan Rao, who was reportedly engaged in a small-time finance business, was in a live-in relationship with Bindu after he got separated from his wife. Bindu was not staying with her husband either.

The police said Bindu had acted in minor roles in Kannada films such as Bhajarangi, Police Quarters and Kalabhairava.

Two months ago, Bindu and Rao rented a house in Manjunath Nagar. However, they had not entered into a formal rental agreement as they had indicated they would vacate within a month. Neighbours reportedly noticed that the house was often kept locked.

On February 28, a foul smell emerged from the house prompted the landlord, Nataraj, to alert the police. Upon inspection, the police personnel found Rao’s body in a decomposed state.

During investigation, the police tracked the accused, and the interrogation revealed that Bindu had developed a relationship with Vinay while living with Rao, as Vinay proposed to marry her. However, Rao objected. Vinay and Bindu conspired to eliminate Rao, fearing he would come in the way of their marriage plans.

According to the police, on the night of February 18, Rao, Bindu, Vinay, and Dhanush consumed alcohol at the house. During the party, an altercation broke out after Rao allegedly misbehaved with Bindu. Enraged, Vinay was said to have stabbed Rao with a knife. When he screamed, the trio allegedly gagged him with tape and smothered him.

The accused then locked the house and fled. The crime came to light days later when the foul smell emerged from the locked house.

Following a probe, the police arrested the three accused.