Bengaluru woman strangled by live-in partner in Malleswaram; accused held
Synopsis
A 20-year-old woman lay dead in a Malleswaram rented flat for two days before her alleged killer — her live-in partner — told his lawyer, who then called the police. The case is the second live-in partner murder reported in Bengaluru in under 72 hours, raising urgent questions about tenant verification and early-warning systems in the city.
Key Takeaways
Anusha , 20 , was allegedly strangled by her live-in partner Sharath , 25 , at their rented house in Malleswaram, Bengaluru .
The alleged murder took place on Saturday night ; the body was recovered on Monday after Sharath's lawyer alerted police.
Both were natives of Sakleshpur, Hassan district , and had reportedly met on Instagram .
Sharath, a water tanker driver , was arrested by Seshadripuram Police Station officers following the tip-off.
A second live-in partner murder was reported in Bellandur on 15 June , involving victims from Sikkim and Darjeeling .
A third case — the alleged murder of a five-year-old girl in Seegehalli — is also under investigation, with the mother and her live-in partner named as accused.
A 20-year-old woman was allegedly strangled to death by her live-in partner at a rented house in Malleswaram, Bengaluru, with the crime coming to light two days after the incident. The accused, Sharath (25), was arrested following a police operation, officers from Seshadripuram Police Station confirmed on Wednesday, 17 June.
How the crime came to light
The victim, identified as Anusha, and the accused were both natives of Sakleshpur in Hassan district. According to police, the two had become acquainted through Instagram and had been living together in Malleswaram for the past six months.
Sharath, who worked as a water tanker driver in the city, allegedly killed Anusha following an argument over personal issues on Saturday night. Police said the quarrel escalated, leading to the alleged murder. The crime remained undisclosed for two days until Monday, when Sharath reportedly informed his lawyer about the incident. The lawyer subsequently alerted the police, who visited the house and recovered the body.
Legal proceedings and investigation
A case has been registered and Sharath was taken into custody following the police operation. Post-mortem and other legal formalities were completed before Anusha's body was handed over to her family. Further interrogation of the accused is underway as investigators seek to establish the exact sequence of events that led to the alleged murder.
A disturbing pattern in Bengaluru
This is the second such incident reported in Bengaluru within days. On 15 June, a 22-year-old woman identified as Aty Hangama Suba from Sikkim, who worked as a receptionist at a salon, was allegedly murdered by her live-in partner Purba Lepcha (22) from Darjeeling in the jurisdiction of Bellandur Police Station. Lepcha allegedly suspected her of being in a relationship with another man.
Notably, a separate case is also being investigated in which a five-year-old girl named Vennila was found dead on 25 March at a villa in Seegehalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Police have since registered a murder case against the child's mother and her alleged live-in partner following a complaint by the girl's father. The couple had reportedly moved to Bengaluru from Assam about a month before the child's death and were staying in a rented house in Doddanekkundi.
What the cases reveal
The clustering of live-in partner violence cases in Bengaluru within a short span has drawn attention to gaps in tenant verification, social support systems, and early-intervention mechanisms. Police continue to investigate all three cases independently. The Malleswaram case remains the most recent, and investigators say interrogation of Sharath is ongoing.
Point of View
Bridged only because the accused consulted a lawyer. Tenant verification norms in urban Karnataka remain poorly enforced, and there is no mandated reporting mechanism for landlords or housing societies. Bengaluru's rapid in-migration — drawing young workers from across India — creates anonymised living arrangements with minimal community oversight. Without targeted intervention, the city risks becoming a recurring dateline for preventable domestic violence.
NationPress
2 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the victim in the Malleswaram live-in partner murder case?
The victim was Anusha , a 20-year-old woman from Sakleshpur in Hassan district, Karnataka. She was allegedly strangled by her live-in partner Sharath at their rented house in Malleswaram, Bengaluru.
Who is the accused and how was he arrested?
The accused is Sharath , a 25-year-old water tanker driver and fellow native of Sakleshpur. He was arrested after he reportedly informed his lawyer about the incident on Monday, and the lawyer alerted police from Seshadripuram Police Station.
When did the alleged murder take place and when was it discovered?
The alleged murder occurred on Saturday night . It came to light two days later on Monday when police, acting on the lawyer's tip-off, visited the house and recovered the body.
Are there other similar cases recently reported in Bengaluru?
Yes. On 15 June , a 22-year-old woman, Aty Hangama Suba from Sikkim, was allegedly murdered by her live-in partner Purba Lepcha in the Bellandur area. Separately, police are also investigating the alleged murder of a five-year-old girl, Vennila , found dead in Seegehalli on 25 March , with the mother and her live-in partner named as accused.
What is the current status of the investigation?
Sharath has been arrested and is under interrogation. Post-mortem formalities have been completed and Anusha's body has been handed over to her family. Police say they are continuing their investigation to establish the exact circumstances of the alleged murder.
