Bengaluru: Mohammed Sanjeeth Ali, the 26-year-old man found unconscious beside a dead Bengaluru physiotherapist at a homestay in Karnataka’s Chikkaballapur district, has now come under the scanner as police investigate the mysterious death case.
Sai Surabhi, a 26-year-old physiotherapist from Bengaluru, was found dead inside a room at a homestay near Muddenahalli village on Saturday, June 27, while Ali was discovered unconscious and later shifted to hospital for treatment.
Who Is Sanjeeth Ali?
According to reports, Mohammed Sanjeeth Ali is a mechanical engineering graduate from Kerala who had reportedly worked as a cab driver. Cops stated that he and Surabhi had allegedly been in a relationship for several years.
According to an India Today report quoting police sources, the couple had earlier eloped to Kerala before returning voluntarily. However, Surabhi’s family reportedly opposed the relationship and have now accused Ali of raping and murdering their daughter. Her family also alleged that Ali made her a drug addict, with her mother claiming her daughter was targeted for 'love jihad'.
The couple was reportedly previously booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after drugs were allegedly recovered during a party they attended.
Following that case, Surabhi’s family had reportedly admitted her to a rehabilitation centre in Mysuru, where she underwent treatment for alcohol and drug addiction for nearly six months before returning to Bengaluru.
Surabhi had recently travelled to Chikkaballapur to volunteer at the Sports Authority of India campus. Police believe Ali later learnt of her location, travelled from Kerala and booked the homestay where the two allegedly stayed together for several days before the incident. Homestay records reportedly show that Ali checked into the property on Saturday, though police are still verifying when Surabhi arrived there.
Police recovered a rope, several tablets, alcohol bottles, signs of vomiting and a pillow from the room where the incident took place. However, officials said no visible external injuries or blood-related wounds were found on Surabhi’s body.
Police Probing All Angles
Chikkaballapur Superintendent of Police Kushal Chowksi said cops are probing all possible angles, including murder, suicide and poisoning. “We cannot say whether she was murdered, poisoned, or died by suicide. A rope was also found inside the room, so all possibilities remain open,” the officer said, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Ali allegedly consumed tablets and remains hospitalised. Police said his statement will be recorded once he regains consciousness, adding that it will be crucial in understanding the sequence of events leading up to Surabhi’s death.
A murder case is being registered at Nandi Police Station, though officials said the exact cause of death will only be confirmed after forensic analysis and the post-mortem examination.
