A suspected relationship between a divorced man and a college professor ended in a chilling crime last week, with police recovering their bodies in two separate locations a day apart.

The woman, Saroja J, 40, a Kannada professor at a private college in Devanahalli, was found charred inside a burnt car on Saturday. A day later, the body of C Ramanjinappa, 45, was found on railway tracks near Bidadi, severed into pieces.

Police said Ramanjinappa, a resident of Marasandra near Rajanakunte and an employee at the Devanahalli taluk office, had taken a car from his friend on Saturday morning. He told the owner, Suresh Kumar, that he needed the vehicle due to a family medical emergency, according to Times of India report.

Around 9.30 am, Ramanjinappa picked up Saroja from a bus stop in Devanahalli. The two then spent several hours travelling around Nandi Hills and nearby areas. By evening, they reached a secluded spot near Jinkebachhahalli in Doddaballapur.

According to police, a violent argument likely broke out inside the car. Investigators believe Ramanjinappa hit Saroja on the head with a hammer. After she lost consciousness, he allegedly moved her to the back seat, poured petrol inside the vehicle, and set it on fire.

Witnesses told police they saw a man running away from a burning car, and also noticed that his clothes had caught fire. Locals alerted the police, who rushed to the spot along with fire services and doused the flames. Inside the vehicle, they found a completely charred body.

Around the same time, the car owner received an alert on his phone about a possible accident involving his vehicle. "The car had auto collision notification feature. Panicked, Suresh Kumar called Ramanjinappa but the mobile was switched off," a police officer said.

Police traced the vehicle through its chassis number and contacted Kumar, who informed them that Ramanjinappa had taken the car earlier that day. A special team was then formed to track him down.

"A special team led by police inspector Sadiq Pasha was formed to crack the case," a senior police officer said.

On Sunday morning, railway police informed investigators about a body found on tracks near Bidadi. The body was badly mutilated, with limbs severed, as per TOI.

Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now