A 22-year-old woman was found dead inside her rented house in Bengaluru on June 13, and the police arrested an autorickshaw driver on Sunday who allegedly killed her and tried to present the incident as a suicide pact.

The woman was identified as Bhavani S, who was staying at a rented house in Tulasi Nagar on Magadi main road. The accused, Chandrashekar alias Chandu, was already married but had been having an affair with Bhavani, whom he had also secretly married, said the police.

The police said Bhavani was a BSc graduate working in a mobile shop. On June 13, around 7 am, her parents, Srinivas and Mamatha, received a call from her maternal aunt informing them that Bhavani had posted an Instagram story suggesting she had got married.

Srinivas then tried to call Bhavani, but she did not pick up. Then, he called the house owner Arjun’s wife to check. After checking, she confirmed that the door was locked from the inside. Srinivas and his wife rushed to the house by 9.30 am. By that time, the local police had also been alerted.

Upon arrival, the police broke open the door and found Bhavani dead, and a man, who was later identified as Chadu, unconscious.

Chandu was then taken to a private hospital. During questioning, he claimed that both he and Bhavani had attempted suicide. A background check by the police revealed the duo’s secret affair and marriage.

A police officer said, “Bhavani’s family was arranging her marriage to another man without knowledge of her affair. Chandu opposed her marriage.”

According to allegations by Bhavani’s father Srinivas, she informed Chandu about the family’s plans and urged him to take a stand. He allegedly became aggressive and killed her.

“Srinivas alleges that Chandu strangled her, then sprinkled poison on both her and himself to make it appear as a suicide,” the officer added.

The Byadarahalli police registered an FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 103(1) [murder] and 238 (destruction of evidence) against Chandu, who is presently in custody. They are awaiting the post-mortem report to ascertain if Bhavani was strangled.