A 26-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh was found charred to death alongside his motorcycle in Bengaluru district on Thursday evening. The police suspect he was murdered before his body was set on fire.

The deceased has been identified as Vamsi Krishna, a native of Tenali in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. His body and motorcycle were discovered around 6 pm after local people noticed flames near the side of Bikkanahalli Road, near Sarjapur in Anekal taluk, close to Azim Premji University, and alerted the police.

Senior police officers, including Bengaluru Rural Additional Superintendent of Police Venkatesh Prasanna, visited the spot.

A murder case has been registered at the Sarjapur Police Station. “We are verifying all possible angles, including CCTV footage and technical evidence, to ascertain the circumstances leading to the incident,” a senior police officer said.

An engineering diploma holder 

According to the preliminary investigation, Vamsi was staying at a paying guest accommodation in Electronics City. He completed a diploma in engineering from NTTF College and worked for a private company for about a year before becoming unemployed.

The police said Vamsi left his PG accommodation on his motorcycle around 3.40 pm on Thursday to pick up his friend, Bhanu Prakash, who was arriving from Andhra Pradesh at the Sarjapur bus stand. While on the way, he also called another friend, Praveen, inviting him for dinner later that evening.

However, when Bhanu Prakash reached Sarjapur and called Vamsi at 4.40 pm, his mobile phone was switched off, the police said.

The police identified the victim through the motorcycle’s registration details and subsequently contacted his brother, Shiva Krishna. Following this, family members and friends arrived at the spot and confirmed the identity of the deceased.

Family rules out suicide

The victim’s family has ruled out suicide, alleging that Vamsi was murdered before his body and motorcycle were set on fire to destroy evidence. They also said he had no known personal enmity or relationship issues and urged police to conduct a thorough investigation.

A Scene of Crime (SOCO) team, forensic experts and the dog squad examined the scene and collected evidence. The police also noticed burnt garbage at the location, raising suspicion that the isolated spot may have previously been used for burning waste.

The police are yet to establish the exact circumstances leading to Vamsi Krishna’s death, and the motive behind the suspected murder remains under investigation.

Further investigations are underway.