A young woman was hacked to death in broad daylight at the KSRTC bus stand in Bantwal on Thursday, causing panic among commuters, and police are aggressively searching for the absconding accused.
The deceased is Lavanya, a resident of Kakkepadavu. She was working in a private nursing home in Kalladka, according to initial information. Police are investigating the motive for the crime.
The accused fled immediately after the attack and is still at large. The woman was attacked after getting off the bus, police said. Lavanya was seen boarding a KSRTC bus to Kakkepadavu from the Bantwal bus stand.
Before the incident, she had been on the phone with one of her relatives and told them that a young man sat next to her inside the bus. The call was disconnected soon after.
Police are checking the details of the phone conversation as part of the investigation. Based on the passengers' accounts, Lavanya and the suspected assailant later got off the bus at the Bantwal KSRTC bus stand.
Witnesses said that the man started chasing the woman soon after they left the bus. When the accused allegedly pulled out a sharp weapon from his bag, Lavanya tried to run to safety.
But the attacker apparently caught up with her and hit her several times with the weapon, inflicting fatal injuries before fleeing the scene, police said.
The attack took place during the morning commute, and bystanders were shocked by the scene of the assault. It was tense at the busy KSRTC bus stand as frightened passengers rushed away from the scene after the attack.
Residents and commuters immediately alerted the police and emergency services. Police officials were on the scene as soon as they heard of the incident and secured the crime scene for investigators.
Police officers from the Bantwal Sub-Division Police, the City Police Inspector and other police personnel visited the scene and conducted an inspection.
A case has been registered, and we have launched a search operation to catch and arrest the accused. Investigators are looking at CCTV footage of the bus stand and nearby establishments and recording statements from passengers and eyewitnesses who were there during the incident.
Police are yet to reveal the accused’s identity and whether he was known to the victim. The motive for this murder is not clear at the time of writing. Police are investigating all of the possible angles as to whether, before the incident, the victim and the accused knew each other.
The victim’s phone records and other evidence are also expected to be part of the investigation. Details on the case will be revealed when the accused is traced and questioned, he said.
The murder has sent shockwaves through Bantwal, particularly as it happened in a crowded public place during daytime. Police would like to see any information on the accused or the incident to come forward and be part of the investigation.
All information will be updated as the investigation continues, as the suspect is identified and as the immediate cause of the fatal attack is investigated.
