In a chilling turn of events, Bengaluru police apprehended Gurumurthy, the key suspect behind the kidnapping and murder of 13-year-old Nischith. What has stunned investigators most is Gurumurthy’s unexpectedly advanced use of technology to hide his identity while demanding ransom — techniques typically used by professional cybercriminals.
An ordinary driver by profession, Gurumurthy used VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) to make untraceable ransom calls. Police were initially led to believe they were dealing with a seasoned criminal operating from abroad due to the use of a foreign number and tech-savvy tactics.
Authorities now suspect Gurumurthy may have learned these methods from his brother, a police constable who once worked in the Bengaluru City Police social media wing and is currently stationed at the Indian embassy in a Middle Eastern country.
The accused used WhatsApp voice calls sparingly — just once — while most communication with the victim’s family was through text messages. Interestingly, although he typed in English, the messages appeared in Hindi on the recipient’s phone, further complicating tracking efforts.
Despite the hurdles, a 20-member team led by Inspector Kumaraswamy B G, with support from the State Intelligence Unit and Central Crime Branch (CCB), finally tracked Gurumurthy, who had been hopping between Doddakallasandra and Yelachenahalli to avoid arrest.
DCP Narayana eventually pinpointed another number linked to him, leading to his capture. A bullet injury sustained during the arrest delayed custody, but police plan to resume questioning soon.