A 26-year-old physiotherapist from Bengaluru was found dead with a rope tightly wound around her neck inside a locked room at a homestay near Nandi Hills, while her boyfriend was discovered unconscious beside her in what police suspect was an attempted suicide following the alleged murder, as reported in Times of India.
The victim, identified as Sai Surabhi, was a resident of Jayanagar in Bengaluru and had recently begun working at Sri Sathya Sai Hospital in Muddenahalli. Her boyfriend, 25-year-old Mohammed Sanjeeth Ali (Sanjeeth Ali), a native of Kozhikode in Kerala, works as a mechanical engineer and also drives a cab in Bengaluru.
Based on a complaint filed by Surabhi’s mother, Geeta, police registered a murder case against Ali. The family also alleged that the case involved a love jihad angle and claimed that Surabhi had faced prolonged harassment, torture, and exposure to drugs and alcohol during her relationship with him.
According to police, Ali checked into the Nandi Skandgiri Heritage Homestay on Saturday. However, investigators have not yet established when Surabhi joined him at the property.
The incident came to light on Monday, 29 June 2026, after the couple failed to check out. Homestay employees reportedly knocked repeatedly on the room door and attempted to contact the occupants by phone. When there was no response, they alerted the police.
Police later broke open the locked door and found Surabhi lying dead on the bed with a rope wound tightly around her neck. Ali was found unconscious beside her.
Investigators recovered medicines and a diary from the room. Police suspect that Ali consumed an overdose of sleeping pills in an apparent suicide attempt after allegedly killing Surabhi. He was subsequently admitted to a hospital and remains under observation.
Family Alleges Prolonged Harassment And Substance Abuse
Surabhi’s mother alleged that Ali had subjected her daughter to prolonged harassment and introduced her to drugs and alcohol. The family had consequently admitted Surabhi to a rehabilitation centre.
However, according to Geeta, Ali re-established contact with Surabhi after she left the rehabilitation facility.
Surabhi’s maternal uncle, Shankar Narayan, said the two had known each other since their college days at Dayananda Sagar. He stated that the family had opposed the relationship after Surabhi complained about harassment and torture, but she continued to remain in contact with Ali.
The family alleged that Surabhi was harassed over an extended period and that Ali had drawn her into substance abuse. They also raised allegations of love jihad while seeking a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
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Surabhi Had Told Family She Was Attending Satsang
Geeta said Surabhi had joined Sri Sathya Sai Hospital approximately 10 days before her death and had been staying in rented accommodation in Chikkaballapur for work.
Surabhi reportedly told her family that she would attend a Satsang programme at the hospital on Saturday and would stay there overnight. Her relatives said they had no knowledge that she had instead gone to the homestay with Ali.
When the family later learned about her death, they alleged that she had been murdered and urged the police to investigate the role played by Ali and the circumstances that brought the couple to the homestay.
Diary Sent For Handwriting Examination
Chikkaballapur Superintendent of Police Kushal Chouksey said investigators were examining the precise cause of Surabhi’s death and the reason Ali had lost consciousness.
Police are also studying the homestay records, which reportedly confirm that Ali checked in on Saturday. However, the caretaker was unable to state clearly when Surabhi entered the premises.
The diary recovered from the room has been sent to handwriting experts for examination. Investigators are expected to determine whether the contents were written by Surabhi, Ali, or another person and whether they provide any indication of what occurred before the death.
Police are also examining the medicines found at the scene to determine what Ali allegedly consumed and whether an overdose caused his unconsciousness.
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