A 21-year-old man, identified as Prem Vardhan, accused of murdering his friend in north Bengaluru, has been arrested in Tirupati after an interstate search. The victim, Devisri (21), a BBM student from Annamayya district in Andhra Pradesh, was found dead in a friend’s rented room in Thammenahalli on November 23.
Prem and Devisri are believed to have had an argument inside the house, during which he allegedly strangled her. He then locked the door from outside and fled.
According to reports, Prem left the scene and took a metro train to the Majestic depot, where he boarded a bus to Tirupati. Police identified him as the prime suspect based on statements from neighbours and friends.
Although Prem had switched off his phone, police reportedly traced his movements using intermittent mobile activity and CCTV footage along the route. A team led by Inspector Muralidhar coordinated with local authorities and monitored tower locations to narrow down his whereabouts.
Prem attempted to evade detection by shaving his head and offering his hair at a temple, but the signal from his phone eventually pinpointed his location to the police. He reportedly confessed to killing Devisri out of jealousy over her friendship with another man. Prem frequently visited Devisri’s residence in Thammenahalli.
The murder came to light after Devisri’s family, unable to reach her the day after she last spoke to her father, asked her friend to check on her. The friend found the door locked from outside and discovered Devisri dead when they entered the house.