Man held for killing friend in Bengaluru, claims they were in a same-sex relationship

On December 16, Chetan allegedly murdered Pradeep by burning him with cigarettes, smashing his head against a wall, and smothering him to death. A tenant, who heard a commotion from Pradeep’s house the previous night, went to check on him in the morning the next day. The tenant told the police that the door was latched from the outside, and when he opened it, he found Pradeep’s body in the hall strewn with cigarette packs, liquor sachets, and other wrappers.

A BCA graduate, Pradeep was unemployed for two years. The resident of Shivanahalli in Rajajinagar was married with a 10-year-old son, but had been living separately in the Thimmabhovipalya property after marital differences with his wife. While Pradeep lived on the fourth floor, the other three floors were rented out.

“We are unaware of any homosexual relationship or how Chetan and Pradeep became friends. We assumed Chetan was staying as a tenant,” Pradeep’s brother Praveen told reporters.

According to a complaint by Praveen, Chetan had called their mother on December 15 to complain about the issue. Pradeep had also mentioned Chetan’s violent behaviour to his mother but assured his family he would handle the situation.

The police registered a murder case and traced Chetan to Salem in Tamil Nadu. He was detained and brought back to Bengaluru on Saturday night.

During interrogation, Chetan confessed to frequent conflicts with Pradeep, alleging that Pradeep sometimes opposed their relationship. The police said he admitted to burning Pradeep with cigarettes and assaulting him during arguments.