The vehicle was said to be operating with a commercial yellow number plate, indicating it was a hired taxi.
When the local police reached the spot, they found a burnt car (yellow number plate) and a person named Nagendran's burnt body inside the car.
"The deceased and Ranya were in a relationship, and due to some relationship issues, they had a tussle.
Due to the ongoing dispute between the boy and the girl, he stopped the car.
Once the car was stopped, they started fighting, after which the car caught fire," the SP said.
A man was found dead inside a burnt car on the Pune Highway in Karnataka's Tumakuru district, while a woman travelling with him, said to be his ex-girlfriend, sustained minor injuries. The vehicle was said to be operating with a commercial yellow number plate, indicating it was a hired taxi. (Representative)
Tumakuru superintendent of police (SP), Ashok Venkat, told news agency ANI on Sunday that police received information about a car engulfed in flames under the jurisdiction of Kallambella Police Station.
The official added that the cops found the charred body of a man on reaching the spot. The deceased has been identified as Nagendran, and the vehicle was said to be operating with a commercial yellow number plate, indicating it was a hired taxi.
"We received information about a car engulfed in fire at Kallambella Police Station on the Pune Highway. When the local police reached the spot, they found a burnt car (yellow number plate) and a person named Nagendran's burnt body inside the car. When we inquired about the incident, we found that the driver of the car and the deceased's co-passenger, Ranya, were involved," the SP said.
The plot to die together? According to a report by India Today, during the cab ride, Nagendra allegedly threatened to kill Ranya, who was his ex-girlfriend and had fallen out with him due to personal differences. The report added that he also threatened to take his own life and carried an explosive device, which he reportedly showed her in the cab.
It is also being reported that the deceased had taken the girl forcibly with him, after which her parents filed a kidnapping complaint at the Jayanagar police station in Bengaluru.
The Tumakuru SP confirmed the relationship angle to ANI and said Nagendra attacked the girl with a knife inside the vehicle, but the car stopped, thus giving the girl a chance to jump out of it to safety. However, soon after that, the vehicle caught fire.
"The deceased and Ranya were in a relationship, and due to some relationship issues, they had a tussle. A kidnapping case had already been registered at the local police station. Due to the ongoing dispute between the boy and the girl, he stopped the car. Once the car was stopped, they started fighting, after which the car caught fire," the SP said.
The police, however, said that the exact cause of the fire and the sequence of events leading to the incident are yet to be established.
"The reason for the fire and the sequence of events need to be investigated. Once we determine the reasons, we will proceed with further investigation. She has cut injuries on her head and arm; both are superficial and not serious. Treatment has been given, and she is ready to be discharged,' the SP added.
