A shocking crime has come to light from Karnataka’s Mandya district, where a 28-year-old man allegedly killed a woman he had just met for the first time after connecting with her on Facebook only two days earlier.
The accused, identified as Puneeth Gowda, an engineering graduate and resident of Mandya, was arrested Tuesday by local police. According to authorities, Gowda murdered Preethi Sundaresh, a married woman from Hassan with two children, during their first face-to-face meeting on Saturday.
Police said the incident occurred in a fit of rage near Hassan, where the two had agreed to meet. After committing the crime, Gowda is believed to have buried Preethi’s body at a farm in the Mandya district, where it was later discovered.
The case has left both districts stunned, with many questioning how a brief online interaction could spiral into such a brutal act. According to the investigation, Gowda was unemployed at the time and had no prior criminal record. Preethi, meanwhile, was living a seemingly normal life with her family before the incident.
Authorities are now digging deeper into the digital trail between the two, trying to understand the motive and what may have triggered such extreme violence. The incident also raises concerns about the dangers of unverified online relationships and how quickly they can turn tragic.
The police continue to investigate, and Gowda remains in custody. Meanwhile, the incident stands as a grim reminder of the dark side of social media connections that begin with just a click.
