<p>Bengaluru: It took a police team searching dozens of shanties in South Bengaluru to arrest a 26-year-old man suspected of murdering two people in five days. </p>.<p>The Banashankari police on Sunday announced the arrest of Girish M for murdering two people between May 13 and 18 on footpaths by smashing their heads with a stone. </p>.<p>On May 13, a man in his 20s was found in a pool of blood on the footpath of KR Road, with his face disfigured and head smashed. Police found a stone slightly larger than a fist next to the body. The scene-of-crime officers concluded it to be the murder weapon. </p>.<p>On May 19, the KR Market police found a man in his 30s murdered near an old building close to the north gate of the market. The killer had smashed the victim’s head with a boulder. </p>.<p>In both incidents, the police opened a murder case and launched a probe.</p>.<p>The Banashankari police achieved a breakthrough when they chanced upon a glimpse of Girish in CCTV footage retrieved from a camera near KR Road. The footage, spanning less than five seconds, showed the suspect's face. Matching it with the criminal database helped the police conclude that it was Girish.</p>.Couple killed after KSRTC bus hits two-wheeler on Kanakapura Road.<p>Eventually, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Lokesh B Jagalasar, formed a team to trace him. "Our team did a good job of pinning down the suspect after gathering leads. He was arrested on May 20,” the DCP told <em>DH</em>. </p><p>Intense questioning revealed that Girish was the one behind the KR Market murder that occurred just two days before his arrest.</p>.<p><strong>Motive behind murders </strong></p>.<p>"He is a drug and alcohol addict who lives on the streets alone. He committed both murders under the influence of alcohol,” an investigating officer told <em>DH</em>, adding that he stole valuables from the victims after killing them. </p>.<p>The investigator said Girish was completely sloshed and carried out the murders to get money to spend on alcohol and drugs. They believe that if making a quick buck by killing people had reinforced Girish, he may have gone on a killing spree. </p>.<p>In the first murder, the suspect allegedly chased the victim for about 500 metres before finally downing him and smashing his face relentlessly with a stone. </p>.<p><strong>Habitual offender</strong></p>.<p>However, this is not the first time Girish has been arrested by the police.</p>.<p>He is a habitual offender and committed his first crime when he was 17 years old.</p>.<p>He has about four cases against him in the Subramanyapura and Banashankari police stations, including criminal intimidation, assault, sexual harassment, and robbery.</p>.<p>In 2020, he served 10 months of imprisonment in an assault case. </p>.<p>After coming out, Girish worked as a helper at hotels, construction laborer, helper at markets, and so on. However, he was also involved in robbing people when he was in need of money. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: It took a police team searching dozens of shanties in South Bengaluru to arrest a 26-year-old man suspected of murdering two people in five days. </p>.<p>The Banashankari police on Sunday announced the arrest of Girish M for murdering two people between May 13 and 18 on footpaths by smashing their heads with a stone. </p>.<p>On May 13, a man in his 20s was found in a pool of blood on the footpath of KR Road, with his face disfigured and head smashed. Police found a stone slightly larger than a fist next to the body. The scene-of-crime officers concluded it to be the murder weapon. </p>.<p>On May 19, the KR Market police found a man in his 30s murdered near an old building close to the north gate of the market. The killer had smashed the victim’s head with a boulder. </p>.<p>In both incidents, the police opened a murder case and launched a probe.</p>.<p>The Banashankari police achieved a breakthrough when they chanced upon a glimpse of Girish in CCTV footage retrieved from a camera near KR Road. The footage, spanning less than five seconds, showed the suspect's face. Matching it with the criminal database helped the police conclude that it was Girish.</p>.Couple killed after KSRTC bus hits two-wheeler on Kanakapura Road.<p>Eventually, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Lokesh B Jagalasar, formed a team to trace him. "Our team did a good job of pinning down the suspect after gathering leads. He was arrested on May 20,” the DCP told <em>DH</em>. </p><p>Intense questioning revealed that Girish was the one behind the KR Market murder that occurred just two days before his arrest.</p>.<p><strong>Motive behind murders </strong></p>.<p>"He is a drug and alcohol addict who lives on the streets alone. He committed both murders under the influence of alcohol,” an investigating officer told <em>DH</em>, adding that he stole valuables from the victims after killing them. </p>.<p>The investigator said Girish was completely sloshed and carried out the murders to get money to spend on alcohol and drugs. They believe that if making a quick buck by killing people had reinforced Girish, he may have gone on a killing spree. </p>.<p>In the first murder, the suspect allegedly chased the victim for about 500 metres before finally downing him and smashing his face relentlessly with a stone. </p>.<p><strong>Habitual offender</strong></p>.<p>However, this is not the first time Girish has been arrested by the police.</p>.<p>He is a habitual offender and committed his first crime when he was 17 years old.</p>.<p>He has about four cases against him in the Subramanyapura and Banashankari police stations, including criminal intimidation, assault, sexual harassment, and robbery.</p>.<p>In 2020, he served 10 months of imprisonment in an assault case. </p>.<p>After coming out, Girish worked as a helper at hotels, construction laborer, helper at markets, and so on. However, he was also involved in robbing people when he was in need of money. </p>