Daijiworld Media Network – Sullia (RD/SMK)

Sullia, Mar 3: In a shocking incident an elderly widow Meera Balakrishna (70), an estate owner was brutally murdered on Sunday March 2 morning.  The killers are not yet identified and even the motive behind the brutal murder is yet to be known.

Meera, wife of the then well-known political leader of the area Balakrishna was living in her Greenfield Estate house alone for some years now.  Her husband had passed away 35 years ago while her two daughters have married and are living in Bangalore. Her only son had died 5 years ago owing to jaundice while her daughter-in-law too is living in Bangalore.

Accordingly Meera was alone at home while a neighbour Gopal who also works as taper in her rubber estate used to come to sleep in the house at nights.  On Saturday night too he had come and gone to the estate after waking up in the early hours of Sunday.

Housemaid Vimala had come to duty around 7 in the morning when the miscreants who were waiting behind the house blindfolded her before tying her up outside the house. They also attacked Vimala owing to which lost conscience.  But when she came back to senses, she managed to free herself and went inside house.  But by then the miscreants had strangled Meera to death and she had fallen dead in the hall.  She immediately alerted other workers who in turn informed the police.

Though none of Meera's jewels were stolen, sources said that murderers had made a vain attempt to break open the locker which was in the house.  Vimala, the housemaid said that there were 4 people in total who entered the house and all of them were wearing caps.  Other than this, there have been no clues yet found.

As stated earlier Meera's husband Balakrishna Gowda had been a prime politician of his days.  Her two daughters Aparajita and Jyotsna are living in Bangalore.  Meera owned almost 300 acres of land and enormous wealth which included ornaments and liquid cash.

 Though nothing is much known about the murderers, police sources said that it could be the handiwork of one of her former drivers.  The said person is already facing a court case after trying to enter Meera's house forcibly sometime ago when Aparajita was at home in the absence of Meera's absence.  The court is still pending in the court while regular hearings are being held.  Police are also trying to unearth some of the other possible motives for the murder.