Facebook had brought couple together: Cops

BENGALURU: It was social media that brought Raju and Sushma together and it proved to be their undoing too. Angry over his wife spending too much time on her smartphone and neglecting chores at home, the warehouse employee bludgeoned her to death and strangled their three-month-old baby within hours of each other.The murders, committed near Bidadi on the outskirts of Bengaluru on January 20, came to light after the Ramanagara district police took SK Raju in for questioning. He reportedly confessed to having murdered Sushma and the baby boy (yet to be named) as she was addicted to Facebook and Instagram and did not cook or clean on time.“This is perhaps the first time that we have come across a murder triggered by social media addiction. It is a pointer to how social media can wreak havoc in rural families,” probe officer told TOI.The irony is that their love story began on Facebook,” said an investigating officer.Raju, a resident of Gangondanahalli near Madanayakanahalli, had befriended 25-year-old Sushma, of Kyathsandra near Tumakuru, on Facebook two years ago. Friendship turned into love and she became pregnant before marriage. Following this, her parents gave the green signal for the relationship and the two got married six months ago. The couple stayed at Gangondanahalli and had a son three months ago.Over the past few weeks, though, Raju was increasingly upset over Sushma spending too much time on her smartphone. He also suspected her of chatting with others unknown to him and tried to confront her on the issue, police said. Argument turned into fights and days later, Raju decided to get rid of her.He told police that he took her and the baby on his bike on the evening of January 20 to a eucalyptus grove off the Hejjal- Mutturayanapura Road near Kumbalgodu forest area. Here, he struck her on the head with a stone repeatedly until she died. He poured petrol on her body and set it on fire, police said. He then strangled the baby and threw the body into the bushes and fled the spot.Raju came under the police scanner after Sushma’s mother lodged a complaint at Madanayakanahalli police station on January 26, saying her daughter and grandson had gone missing and she suspected foul play by Raju. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to the killings. Police are yet to locate the baby’s body.