Bengaluru dance instructor murder: Friend reveals horror - 'she was lying dead next to me'

Victim Navyashree (courtesy: karnatakaportfolio_/Instagram)

A woman in Bengaluru was horrified to discover her friend lying dead beside her in a pool of blood with her throat slit on Wednesday morning.

Aishwarya, the friend of the victim, Navyashree, immediately screamed for help, alerting neighbours, and quickly called the police to report the gruesome scene. Navyashree, originally from Bhadravati in Shivamogga district, had been childhood friends with Aishwarya.

Navyashree, a 25-year-old dance instructor, had been living with her husband, Kiran, in SMV Layout, Kengeri Upanagara. The couple had been married for three years. According to police, Kiran and Navyashree had married after a love affair, despite strong opposition from their families.

According to reports in media, earlier that day, around 4.30 pm, Aishwarya visited Navyashree, who confided in her about the distress she was experiencing. Later, she called another friend, Anil, expressing her fear for her safety and asking to meet him. The three friends met later in the evening on Tuesday, where Anil advised Navyashree to file a complaint against her husband, hoping that police intervention might help resolve the marital issues.

After dropping Anil off, Navyashree and Aishwarya returned to Navyashree’s home around 11.30 pm and went to bed. The next morning (Wednesday), Aishwarya, who had consumed beer the previous night, woke up to find her friend dead.

A police officer was quoted in a media report as saying that Kiran wanted Navyashree to change her profession, but she refused. He also suspected her fidelity and frequently argued with her. Kiran used to regularly check Navyashree’s mobile phone.