IT’S ALMOST 1 murder a day

IT’S ALMOST 1 murder a day
Despite New Police Stations, Rate Of Murders In City Is Cause For Concern
A T Subrahmanya | TNN

Bangalore: Almost a murder a day! That is the dubious record in the city this year, with 89 murders in 110 days.
This despite a new police sub-division — North East — with 10 new stations was created this year. Three months after an old couple was murdered in daylight, the police are yet to crack the case. Ditto with the R T Nagar triple murder, where an elderly couple and their physically and mentally disabled son was murdered.
Police say, these two cases apart, the detection rate has gone up, with about 79 murders solved since January 2009. Last year till April 20, there were about 79 murders, with about four incidents of murder for gain.
Police commissioner Shankar M Bidari said, “The rate of murders has actually come down this year. Usually there is a 10% increase in crime rate every year but this year, the number of murders has remained steady at last year’s figures.’’ The rate of murder cases being solved has also gone up, Bidari added.
MURDERS
TILL
APRIL 25,
2009 89 murders 79 solved
Five incidents of murder for gain, three solved APRIL 2008 79 murders with four incidents of murder
for gain
238 murders in the whole year and 192 cases solved NO PROGRESS YET
JAYANAGAR DOUBLE
CRIME: A S Venkata Rangan, 79, a retired deputy accountant general and his wife Vasantha, 72, were murdered at their residence on 11th Main, Jayanagar III Block on January 10. Their throats had been slit. The incident had created panic across the locality.Initially the police suspected the murders were a fallout of a property dispute, as the couple was believed to be contemplating selling their house and moving in with their son in Mysore.
STATUS: UNRESOLVED The police had questioned a maid who was allegedly last seen at the house. However, a CCTV grab from a neighbouring shop showed a few people entering the house. But several rounds of investigations later, the case remains unsolved.
R T NAGAR TRIPLE
CRIME: A retired IISc professor Purshottham Lal Sachdev, 65, his wife Rita, 60, and their son Munna Sachdev, 35, were found murdered in their house on 80-Ft Road in RT Nagar I Block on February 16.When the murders came to light, police first suspected the couple’s adopted son Anurag alias Happy, 23, believed to be a drug addict. Investigations revealed that the Sachdevs had employed a couple from West Bengal as domestic help a little before the murders. The couple was missing.
STATUS: NOT RESOLVED Upon investigation, the police learned the couple may have escaped to the Sundarbans in West Bengal. A police team was sent to look for them, but due to the political turmoil and the villagers’ support, the couple remained elusive. Only when the couple is detained will the murders be solved, say the police.