Bangalore court defers verdict in BPO employee rape case

BANGALORE - A fast track court in Karnataka’s Bangalore city on Friday deferred its judgement in the rape and murder case of Pratibha Murthy, an employee of the Hewlett-Packard run business process outsourcing arm in Bangalore, who was allegedly raped and murdered in 2005 by the driver of a vehicle leased by her employer.

The accused first confessed to the crime, but later backtracked and denied all the charges against him.

He later went on to say that he was not all connected with the case and didn’t even know the BPO employee.

“Whoever has done the crime, I am not the one,” said Shiv Kumar when he was escorted out of the court by policemen.

“I am ready for public hearing. Just let me know who collected the clothes at the spot of the incident? Let the prosecution prove it whether it was Deviaha or me,” he added.

The court will now hear the case after further discussions on September 27.

The trial has been in the courts for four and a half years.

The accused driver took Murthy to an isolated place and later slit her throat before dumping the body in a pit near Anjanapura layout on December 13, 2005. (ANI)