A 29-year-old housemaid was arrested on Sunday for allegedly killing a pet dog inside a lift in an apartment complex in the city’s Bagalur area.

The accused, identified as Pushpalatha, a native of Tamil Nadu, had been employed by Rashika K R, an MBA student, to take care of her pets. Pushpalatha was reportedly earning ₹23,000 a month and was provided accommodation within the same apartment complex.

According to Bagalur police, the incident occurred on November 1, when Pushpalatha took two of Rashika’s pet dogs for a walk. On her return, she entered the lift and allegedly killed one of the dogs, named Goosi, by swinging it against the lift’s wall.

After the incident, she reportedly returned home crying and told Rashika that the dog had been killed in a road accident.

However, Rashika grew suspicious after noticing inconsistencies in her explanation. She then checked the CCTV footage from the apartment premises, which allegedly showed Pushpalatha brutally attacking the dog inside the lift.

A police officer said, “During interrogation, Pushpalatha claimed she was frustrated with the pet’s continuous barking. However, investigations revealed that she had recently stolen valuables from Rashika’s house and had been warned against repeating it.”

Police suspect that Pushpalatha killed the dog as an act of revenge. She had been working at Rashika’s house for around one and a half months.

The CCTV footage has been seized, and further investigation is underway.