Bengaluru, June 26: A 28-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly murdering a woman he met on Facebook and burying her body on his farmland in Mandya district, Karnataka. According to the report, the accused allegedly killed the woman after she forced him to continue the sexual relationship.

According to the Indian Express, the accused, identified as Puneeth Gowda, an engineering graduate and resident of Karotigram village in Mandya, was taken into custody on Tuesday after the body of 28-year-old Preethi Sundaresh was discovered near the Kattaraghatta forest in KR Pet. Karnataka Shocker: Man Strangles Pregnant Wife to Death in Bantwal, Then Dies by Suicide.

According to police, Preethi, a married woman with two children from Hassan district, connected with Puneeth on Facebook just days before the incident. Their interaction quickly escalated to private phone conversations, leading to a meeting on Saturday.

Investigators said Puneeth picked up Preethi from Hassan in a rented car and the two visited Mysuru before checking into a lodge near Krishna Raja Sagar, where they reportedly spent the night. On their return journey, an argument broke out near KR Pet. “Puneeth claims Preethi offered him money to continue their physical relationship, which he refused. A fight ensued, during which he struck her with a stone, leading to her death,” said Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baladandi.

After the murder, Puneeth allegedly transported the body to his village and buried it on his farmland. The case came to light after Preethi’s husband filed a missing person’s complaint on June 23. Police traced Preethi’s last communications through call records and Facebook messages, which led them to Puneeth. He initially claimed she had taken a bus and left her phone behind, but later confessed during interrogation. Karnataka Shocker: Class 1 Student Loses Vision Completely After Getting Struck by Stick Thrown by Govt School Teacher.

Villagers alerted authorities after spotting the body, which was later identified by Preethi’s husband. Puneeth has been arrested and charged with murder. A  further probe is underway.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 26, 2025 06:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).