Bangalore cops quiz slain techie’s husband, friends

BANGALORE - City police Saturday began questioning Ananth Narayan Mishra, husband of Dell call centre employee Payal Surekha, who was found murdered in her flat here Friday, and their friends for clues.

“We are questioning Mishra and friends of the couple for clues. We are yet to get a clear picture. We hope to crack the case soon,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Sonia Narang told IANS.

A shocked Mishra, who rushed to the city from Orissa earlier in the day, declined to speak to the media while he was taken away by the investigation team for the interrogation.

“We are also waiting for the post-mortem examination report of Surekha’s body from the government hospital. As the case is still under investigation, it is too early to say who the suspect could be,” Narang said.

Police found late Friday Surekha’s body in a pool of blood, with her throat slit and multiple stab injuries, in the bedroom of the couple’s second floor Ramana Babu apartment, located in J.P. Nagar, an upscale suburb in south Bangalore.

“As per the depositions made by the owner of the flat and a neighbour, an unidentified person known to the couple called on the victim between 10-11 a.m. Friday after enquiring where Mishra’s flat was in the building,” Narang said.

Surekha, 29, who originally hails from Boingaigaon in Assam, joined the back office of the US-based Dell Corporation’s Indian subsidiary recently as a senior technical assistant.

Mishra was till recently an instructor at a local gym and is currently jobless.

Though police ruled out murder for gain as jewellery on Surekha’s body and other belongings in the flat were intact, they are looking into rivalry or financial problem for leads in the gruesome murder.