Bangalore, July 13: Unable to bear the burden of guilt, Nagesh (30) went to a priest and confessed to a crime he had committed. On Saturday, the city police got wind of the confession and picked up the man for allegedly murdering a six-year-old boy.
Police identified the victim as Satish, son of Amala, a garment factory worker. The victim was a resident of Janata Colony in HSR police station limits, police said on Sunday. The boy’s mother had, on Wednesday, lodged a missing case with the police.
On Friday evening, foul smell emanating from a gunny bag dumped in a eucalyptus grove in Doddakkanahalli caught the attention of local residents. They informed the police after finding the decomposed body of the boy in the bag. Amala later identified her son’s body, police said. The body bore no external injuries except for a small cut on the right temple.
After the arrest of Nagesh on Saturday, the police reconstructed the events that led to the murder. The accused reportedly told the police that Satish sneaked into his house through an open door while he was sleeping around 3 pm on Wednesday, and went out with his mobile phone.
Nagesh found his phone missing when he woke up and upon checking, found the boy playing with it outside the house. He snatched the phone and slapped the boy. The boy, however, fell down and hit his head on the floor, and stopped breathing.
Nagesh panicked and wrapped the body in the gunny bag and disposed it in the grove. He visited the spot again later in the night and hit the boy’s head with a boulder, police said. The next day, Nagesh went to the priest and confessed to the crime. On Saturday, the police came to know of the confession and arrested the accused.
Though the victim and accused stayed in the same neighbourhood, they were not known to each other.
LY Rajesh, inspector, HSR Layout, said Nagesh hailed from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada. He was working with a religious institution and was recently married.
Satish was attending an Anganwadi. He had lost his father and was living with his mother Amala and a younger sister.
–Agencies