BENGALURU: A 34-year-old software engineer died under suspicious circumstances in an alleged fire accident at her residence on First Main Road, Subramani Layout, Ramamurthynagar, East Bengaluru, on the night of Jan 3. Police suspect that she may have succumbed to suffocation after inhaling smoke.The deceased, Sharmila Kushalappa, was a native of Mangaluru and employed with software firm Accenture. She had been living for the past year on the second floor of a two-bedroom apartment in the building.

According to preliminary investigation, the incident occurred between 10.15pm and 10.50pm. Residents noticed fire in one of the apartments on the second floor. The building owner, Vijayendra, alerted the fire and emergency services as well as Ramamurthynagar police.Fire personnel rushed to the scene with water tankers. Upon reaching the second floor, police and fire officials found the apartment locked from the inside. The door was broken open, and fire personnel began dousing the flames. Sharmila was found unconscious near the kitchen and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead.Sharmila, who was unmarried, had been living alone in the apartment since her friend left for her native place in Assam on Nov 14 last year. A case of unnatural death was registered.