A young woman was brutally stabbed to death at a KSRTC bus stand in the Bantwal area of Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district on Thursday, in an incident that has left the region in shock. The victim has been identified as 21 year old Lavanya, a resident of Kodange near Kakyapadavu and the daughter of Balappa Gowda. She worked at a private nursing home in Kallada. Police have named 22 year old Chetan as the accused in the case. Chetan is said to be a distant relative of Lavanya and had reportedly been following her over a one sided infatuation.
He boarded her bus and followed her
According to police, Lavanya had boarded a KSRTC bus that day to travel to Kakyapadavu. Chetan, who had been waiting nearby in an i10 car, got onto the same bus behind her and began following her. Sensing something was wrong, Lavanya reportedly called a relative from inside the bus and told them that an unknown young man was sitting next to her. Before she could say much more, the call abruptly disconnected, alarming her family.
He pulled out a knife after she rejected him
Piecing the events together, it emerged that Chetan had harboured a one sided love for Lavanya for some time. While still on the bus, he reportedly proposed to her, but Lavanya turned him down. The rejection appears to have enraged him. Soon after, he pulled out a large knife from his bag. Terrified at the sight of the weapon, Lavanya got off the bus and tried to run to save her life.
Chased down and stabbed repeatedly at the bus stand
Eyewitnesses said that as soon as Lavanya stepped off the bus, Chetan followed her out and chased her down. She tried her best to escape, but he caught up with her at the bus stand and stabbed her multiple times in quick succession. Lavanya suffered severe injuries and died on the spot. After carrying out the attack, Chetan fled the scene.
Attack caught on a bystander's phone, now a key piece of evidence
A person present at the bus stand at the time recorded the entire attack on their mobile phone. The video of the assault has since gone viral on social media and has become an important piece of evidence in the police investigation, helping officers reconstruct exactly how the attack unfolded and confirm the identity of the attacker.
Police rush to the spot, hunt for accused underway
As soon as news of the incident broke, a senior police officer from the Bantwal sub division, the town police inspector and other personnel rushed to the scene. Dakshina Kannada district Superintendent of Police Arun K. also visited the spot to take stock of the situation. Special police teams have been formed to trace and apprehend the fugitive accused. A case has been registered, and the search for Chetan is ongoing.
A similar case was recently reported in Bengaluru
A similar incident was recently reported in Bengaluru, where a young man killed a young woman after she ended their relationship. The recurrence of such attacks has once again raised concerns around stalking and one sided obsession turning violent.
