Bengaluru: Engineer murdered, buried in relative’s house after asking back ₹40 lakh

Police crack horrifying ‘cinema-style’ killing that mirrors Drishyam plot

A shocking murder that unfolded across Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh has been solved by police, revealing a plot that strikingly resembles the popular “Drishyam” storyline. The victim, Srinath (30), an engineer from Neraluru near Attibele, was killed by his own relative Prabhakar, with support from his friend Jagadish, after he repeatedly demanded the return of ₹40 lakh.

Police say Prabhakar had convinced Srinath to hand over the money by promising to “double” it. But when Srinath began asking for the amount back over the last three months, Prabhakar allegedly decided to eliminate him.

He created an elaborate plan. Claiming there were “IT issues”, he told Srinath not to talk about money on phone calls and instead communicate only through WhatsApp status updates. Srinath trusted him and complied.

On October 27, Prabhakar posted a status saying he was ready to return the money, but with one condition: Srinath must come without a mobile phone. Believing him, Srinath left his phone at home, told his wife he might be away for two days, and left.

When Srinath reached Prabhakar’s place, he again asked for the money. Police say Prabhakar suddenly struck him on the head with a hammer. With Jagadish’s help, he dug a pit inside his Kuppam house and buried the body to destroy evidence.

When Srinath did not return, his wife waited three days before filing a missing complaint at Attibele Police Station on November 1. Prabhakar was questioned immediately, but denied involvement and even told police to check his mobile.

Investigators initially found no lead in a month of call records. But when they extended the search to two months, they discovered that Prabhakar had been in constant touch with Jagadish. This connection broke open the case.

During sustained questioning, both men finally confessed and led police to the buried body. It was exhumed under the supervision of the Kuppam Tahsildar.
The investigation also exposed the accused men’s disturbing pasts.

• Prabhakar had earlier murdered his friend’s wife for money and served jail time.

• Jagadish had killed his girlfriend and was also a former convict.

They became friends inside jail, and after release, stayed in touch and began planning ways to make quick money.

Both have now been arrested, and further investigation is underway.