• Family expresses doubts over his death, lodges complaint
• He was arrested in Kolkata model’s murder case in B’luru

Mysore/Mysuru: A 24-year-old youth, who was arrested in the sensational Kolkata model’s murder in Bengaluru and remanded to judicial custody, has died in Anakanur Jail in Chikkaballapur on Friday night. 

The family members of the deceased youth, expressing doubts over his death, have lodged a complaint at Chikkaballapur Police Station.

The deceased youth is H.M. Nagesh, a native of Heggur village, Bannur hobli in T. Narasipur taluk of Mysuru district and was residing at Hegganahalli Cross in Bengaluru. He was driving a cab for a living and was also studying law at an evening college as he wanted to be a lawyer.

Nagesh, who was healthy, consumed dinner provided at the jail on Friday night and had vomited. Nagesh’s relative Mahesh told SOM that the jail officials on Saturday at about 8.26 am informed them Nagesh had died at about 11.20 pm on Friday.

Mahesh said that on Friday evening, Nagesh had called his parents over the phone, informed them that he was healthy and had asked them to try getting him a bail. Pointing out that Nagesh died on the same night and the jail officials had not informed them till the next day morning.

Expressing doubts over Nagesh’s death as all the inmates had consumed the same food prepared at the jail and it was only Nagesh who fell ill and died, Mahesh said that Nagesh’s parents have lodged a complaint at Chikkaballapur Police Station demanding a thorough investigation and provide justice to them.

Nagesh’s last rites were held at his native place Heggur village on Sunday afternoon.

About the case: A Kolkata woman was found brutally murdered near Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru and the body which was lying in a field, was found on July 31 by a local who had alerted the Police.

The victim was later identified as Pooja Singh (32), a model-cum-event manager from Kolkata.

Bagalur Police, who had registered a case, conducted investigation and had arrested Nagesh last month. He was produced before a Court, which had remanded him to judicial custody, following which he was lodged in Anakanur Jail in Chikkaballapur.

During the investigation, the Cops traced a unique identity number of the wristwatch which she had purchased online and also got details about the other branded items found on her person, her phone number and e-mail IDs. Her handbag, mobile phone and other belongings were missing from the spot. The staff at the hotel where she was staying had no information about the event she had attended.

A Police officer said that Police teams visited Delhi and Kolkata where they inquired about missing persons and stumbled upon a match at New Town Police Station in Kolkata. 

Pooja’s husband Soudeep De came to Bengaluru and identified the body. Once Pooja’s identity was determined, the Cops learnt that she had booked a cab, which eventually led the Police to Nagesh. 

Investigation revealed that Pooja had booked a cab on the evening of July 30 from Crescent Road in Kumara Park to a hotel in Parappana Agrahara through a mobile phone app. 

The Officer said that Pooja had later called the driver separately and asked him to take her to the airport the next day. He agreed and she boarded the cab on Hosur Road at 4.15 am.

On noticing that she was asleep, Nagesh drove the cab to an isolated place and attacked her with a jack rod.

Pooja got off the cab and started running, but Nagesh chased her and stabbed her repeatedly, Police said and added that when she collapsed, he bludgeoned her to death.

Nagesh was finally nabbed from the taxi stand at the airport when he was about to start a trip.