Escaping from cops, man jumps to death from skywalk

Bengaluru: A 24-year-old man detained by the KR Puram police for questioning in connection with the death of his wife, allegedly escaped from police and jumped to death from the skywalk near ITC factory in Dooravani Nagar near KR Puram on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Sakthivelu, a resident of KR Puram and a native of Madurai. According to police, Sakthivelu was detained on Saturday night on the basis of a complaint given by the parents of his wife alleging that he subjected her to torture and drove her to end her life.

In the early hours of Monday, Sakthivelu told police that he wanted to answer call of nature. He was taken to the toilet on the police station premises. Sakthivelu jumped the compound wall around 6.30 am and started running away from the police.

The police tried to overtake Sakthivelu and nab him, but he reached ITI Limited in Dooravani Nagar, 1.6 km away from the police station, and climbed the skywalk from where he took the fatal plunge. Sakthivelu who landed on the left side of an SUV (Mahindra XUV 500) sustained severe injuries. The people who witnessed the incident rushed him to a nearby hospital with the help of police who reached the spot soon. The doctors on testing him declared him dead.

A senior police officer said that they have obtained a CCTV footage of Sakthivelu running away from cops. "It is a clear case of suicide. There are many witnesses to the incident including the SUV driver," the officer said and claimed that the incident would not amount to custodial death. "It is a clear case of suicide." The investigating officer of the KR Puram police station was about to book a case and arrest him by Monday afternoon, the officer added.

Deputy commissioner of police, Whitefield, D Devaraja said,"Sakthivelu was a carpenter by profession and married Sangeetha, 21, who allegedly killed herself over some marital dispute. A case of abetment to suicide was registered over her death, and a case of unnatural death has been registered in the case of Sakthivelu's death and further investigation is on."