19-Year-Old Bengaluru Delivery Agent Abducted and Murdered by Five Men Over Failed Relationship

A 19-year-old delivery agent from Bengaluru’s Devanahalli was brutally abducted and murdered by five men following a failed relationship, police said on Sunday.

According to a Times of India report, the victim, identified as Preetham R, worked for an online grocery delivery service and lived in Prashanth Nagar, Devanahalli. Police have arrested five suspects in connection with the murder: Srikanth, Shiva Kumar, Charan, Sanjay, and Kaushik — all aged between 22 and 25 — who are residents of Gantiganahalli and surrounding areas.

Police sources told the publication that Preetham had been in a relationship with a 21-year-old Ayurveda student. When the relationship ended, the woman distanced herself, but Preetham allegedly made persistent attempts to reconnect, which she perceived as harassment. She informed her family about his behavior, prompting her cousin Srikanth and his friends to intervene.

Despite several warnings, Preetham reportedly continued to approach the woman, leading to rising tensions. On the night of May 2, around 10:30 pm, the five accused abducted Preetham near his workplace, forcing him into a vehicle. What followed was a horrific two-hour ordeal, with the suspects driving him to multiple locations while repeatedly assaulting him.

Investigators revealed that the attackers brutally punched and kicked Preetham inside the moving vehicle. They later stopped in an isolated area, continuing the assault and inflicting severe injuries, particularly to his face. The group eventually abandoned Preetham’s unconscious body near a government primary school in Neeragantipalya village, Devanahalli, after realizing the gravity of their actions.

Preetham’s father, Ramachandra H, raised an alarm when his son, expected home by 3 am, remained missing by 6 am the next day. Learning of his abduction from Preetham’s colleagues, he joined the search. At around 7:15 am, news arrived about an unidentified body found near Neeragantipalya. Due to the extent of facial injuries, the family struggled to identify the body, but later confirmed it was Preetham.

In his police complaint, Ramachandra alleged that the same group had assaulted Preetham about five days before the murder, heightening hostilities between them.

All five suspects were taken into custody on Sunday evening. Police sources said the accused, who work as laborers in various trades, are being questioned as the investigation continues.