Mystery shrouds Bengaluru woman’s murder; stepped out to fetch phone, found strangled hours later

BENGALURU: A 30-year-old woman was found murdered close to an agricultural field in Siddapura, near Whitefield, Wednesday, with preliminary investigation pointing to death by strangulation.

The deceased, Sonali Khatun, a resident of Siddapura and native of Murshidabad in West Bengal, was employed as a housekeeper at a private facility management firm in Brookefield.


Her husband, Babu Shek, 33, a construction labourer, told police that the family had moved to Bengaluru about a year ago in search of work. The couple lived with their two children — a 14-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl — and Sonali's 60-year-old mother, Sayra. Both Babu and Sonali would leave for work in the morning and return in the evening, though Sonali would occasionally come home during lunch hours.

According to his complaint, on Tuesday around 7.30pm, Sonali returned home and told her husband that she had left her mobile phone at her workplace. She took her husband's phone and stepped out to retrieve her phone, never returning.

When family members attempted to contact her on a borrowed phone, the husband's phone rang once before being switched off. Her own phone was also unreachable. Though the family searched for her through the night, they did not alert the cops.

On Wednesday, her body was found. Deputy commissioner of police (Whitefield) Saidulu Adavath said the family learnt about her death only after Varthur police visited their residence while tracing her address. Prima facie, it appears she was strangled to death, he said, adding that the exact cause would be confirmed after autopsy. Varthur police have registered a case of murder based on the complaint filed by her family.

A senior officer said police are yet to ascertain whether she met someone known to her or if there was any sexual assault. There were no visible external injuries on her except the strangulation marks. CCTV footage from buildings in Siddapura is being examined to trace suspects.

Sonali's husband's phone is missing, while her phone remains switched off. Police also visited her workplace to verify whether she had indeed left her phone there. Efforts are on to trace both devices.