Bengaluru trader murder: Police officer counsels parents of slaying suspect

BENGALURU: Police have counselled the parents of a BCom student who was arrested on Monday in connection with the murder of his 15-year-old girlfriend’s businessman-father.
DCP, North (law and order) N Shashikumar on Wednesday visited the distraught and guilt-ridden parents of 19-year-old Praveen — held for the murder of the Rajajinagar businessman — and advised them not to blame themselves for what their son did.He met them on reports that they were contemplating suicide.
He also met the girl’s mother and sought to disabuse her of her belief that her daughter was being made a scapegoat in the case.
“Praveen’s parents had discussed with friends the fact that they were having suicidal thoughts,” Shashikumar told TOI. “They felt that there was no purpose in continuing to live after their only son committed such a heinous crime and landed in prison. As soon as I learned about it, I rushed to their residence and convinced them that they were not to blame and had nothing to fear. It was a humanitarian gesture.”
Praveen’s parents told the DCP that they had utmost respect for the law.
“You do your job and may our son be punished if he really committed the crime,” the DCP quoted Praveen’s parents as saying. “We will make legal efforts to exonerate our son but will cooperate fully with the investigation.”
Praveen’s father retired from his job in a private firm four years ago and his mother is a homemaker.
Shashikumar and his subordinates met the 15-year-old girl’s mother, who still believes that her daughter is innocent and that Praveen falsely implicated her minor daughter.
“The girl’s mother and close relatives are still unable to come to terms with the girl’s involvement in the case,” Shashikumar said. “We informed the mother that we have evidence that the girl used a knife to commit the murder, purchased sleeping tablets that her father consumed and petrol used to burn the body. We don’t want her to think police have framed her daughter.”
The DCP said Rajajinagar police have almost completed the investigation. “We will file a chargesheet as soon as we finish the probe,” he said.