Relatives and friends of the deceased gather outside his residence in Rajajinagar area

BENGALURU: The 15-year-old girl accused of killing her father at their Rajajinagar home has revealed to police that she committed the crime because she wanted her “freedom” back, speaking bitterly of an episode when he belted her for dating and cut phone privileges.

The girl’s 19-year-old boyfriend, Praveen, is also an accused in the case, which came to light early on Sunday, shocking the city and prompting conversations about teenage rebellion and parenting. TOI is withholding the identities of father and daughter as she is a minor.

The two teens, who studied in the same school before Praveen advanced to college, stabbed her 41-year-old father before setting him ablaze, according to police.

Praveen was arrested on Sunday. The girl, also in custody, cannot be identified according to the law as she is a minor. The father ran an apparel business and was well respected in his community.

The girl said in her police statement that he didn’t approve of her relationship with Praveen and asked her to focus on studies, taking away her mobile and limiting internet use. Deputy police commissioner (north) N Shashikumar shared the details of the statement on Monday. He quoted her lines: “My father had recently learned that I was meeting Praveen in malls and he beat me with his belt.”

Investigators believe this incident, along with restrictions on social media use and meeting friends, was the trigger for the murder.

The two youngsters became close friends when the girl was in class 7 and Praveen was in class 10. Later, they started hanging out more often, even after Praveen left the school and joined a college as a commerce student.

“They spent time in malls and would have long phone conversations. When the girl’s father learned about it, he asked his daughter to end the friendship,” a police officer said. Praveen apparently had gifted a mobile to the girl, who used it to make secret calls. The subject of the calls turned darker as they allegedly discussed ways to take revenge for the “harassment” the girl had faced from her father.

Over the weekend, she spiked his milk with sleeping pills and called Praveen over to her Rajajinagar residence, according to police. She allegedly slapped her father repeatedly to check if the pills had knocked him out and a few moments later, the two teens stabbed him. “They have confessed to the killing,” Shashikumar said.

Neighbours, friends shocked

The victim’s neighbours and friends struggled to wrap their mind around what had happened. Anand said he had been a family friend of over 17 years. “I still remember attending his daughter’s first birthday at a hotel in Rajajinagar. He loved his daughter,” he said. A neighbour recounted the events after he and others saw thick smoke: “We tried to enter his house from the terrace. Just then, the fire brigade arrived.”

Girl may have idolised her boyfriend: Expert

Psychiatrist Dr Mahesh Gowda, who is the director of Spandana Health Care, said the 15-year-old girl accused of murdering her father might have idolised her boyfriend and seen her parents as an obstacle to her aspirations.

Many adolescents suffer from impulse control disorder, which is characterised by impulsivity, failure to resist temptation and inability to communicate, according to Dr Gowda. “Such cases are mostly seen among youngsters who are drug addicts, but every month I also get one or two cases of youngsters who don’t use substances. Often, they become influenced by someone and end up committing a crime. They think they can get away with it,” he said.

A person exposed to violence during his/her development years and a child with conduct issues, who lacks remorse, could suffer from psychological issues as they grow up, he added.

She’s innocent, says mother

The murdered businessman’s wife has reportedly told police that their daughter could not have committed the crime. The wife had travelled to Puducherry last week, and she returned to Bengaluru on Sunday evening.

“She’s in shock — she doesn’t know how to process the twin tragedies of her husband’s murder and their daughter’s detention,” a relative said. “The daughter and her friend were brought to the crime scene for a spot inquest; she looked relaxed after seeing her mother.”

DCP N Shashikumar, meanwhile, said a formal complaint in the case had been filed by the businessman’s trusted employee of over 15 years. “This was done based on the suggestion by relatives and community association,” he said.



In Video: I wanted my freedom back: Bengaluru girl reveals motive for killing father