Horrific Murder in Bengaluru: 18-Year-Old Accused Suffocates Software Engineer After Lewd Demand

• The death of 34-year-old software engineer Sharmila Kushalappa, initially thought to be a fire accident in Subramanya Layout, East Bengaluru, has been confirmed as a murder.
• Forensic reports revealed Sharmila died from suffocation; an 18-year-old neighbor, Kurai, has been arrested.
• Accused Kurai entered Sharmila's flat at 9 PM, demanded sexual relations, and attacked her when she resisted.
• He suffocated Sharmila, then set fire to the room to destroy evidence, fleeing with her mobile phone.
• Kurai, a PUC student living with his mother, faces charges under sections 103(1), 64(2), 66, and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Why It Matters: A Bengaluru software engineer was brutally murdered by an 18-year-old neighbor after she resisted his sexual demands.