Bengaluru techie arrested for killing lover over her plan to marry another man

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru :A 53-year-old software engineer in Bengaluru, identified as Imad Basha, has been arrested for allegedly poisoning his 45-year-old relative, Uzma Khan, with whom he was in a relationship. The incident occurred after Uzma decided to marry another man, which reportedly angered Basha. DCP (Whitefield) Shivakumar Gunare confirmed the arrest and stated that Uzma, a resident of Kacharakanahalli, had been in contact with Basha despite their marriage plans falling through years ago. Both had separated from their respective spouses eight years ago but remained in touch. Ten months ago, Basha relocated to Mumbai, vacating his flat, while Uzma moved to her mother’s home in HBR Layout.

However, Basha later returned to Bengaluru and settled at Deepam Apartment in Kundalahalli, where Uzma would often visit him. According to the police, Basha cloned Uzma’s phone during one of her visits, gaining access to her messages. He discovered that Uzma was planning to marry a Pakistani national working in Australia, a decision he disapproved of. On December 31, 2024, Basha invited Uzma to his apartment, sending her photos of him cooking. She arrived by 9:30 pm, and neighbours reported hearing noise from the flat until around 12:30 am, as per reports. By January 1, 2025, around noon, Basha allegedly sent messages to relatives claiming that his first wife was causing problems over his relationship with Uzma and that they had decided to end their lives. Uzma’s brother, Himayath Khan, alerted the police helpline.

When officers arrived at the scene around 1 pm, Uzma was found dead, and Basha, still alive, was shifted to a nearby hospital. However, Uzma’s post-mortem report revealed she had died at least eight hours before Basha sent the messages as per reports. The investigation uncovered that Basha had laced Uzma’s food with poison and consumed non-lethal toilet cleaner himself to stage a suicide attempt. Police are awaiting forensic reports to confirm whether Uzma was strangled before being poisoned.