In the early hours of Saturday, a dispute over office lighting escalated into a fatal attack in Bengaluru. An argument over switching off lights led to a gruesome murder after an employee killed his manager using a dumbbell.

The incident occurred around 1 a.m. at a rented office of a digital vault and photo-editing firm near MC Layout in the Saraswathinagar area under the jurisdiction of Govindarajanagar Police Station, West Bengaluru. The deceased, 41-year-old Bheemesh Babu from Chitradurga, was managing the firm and reportedly suffered from sensitivity to bright lights, making frequent requests to colleagues to switch off unnecessary lighting.

Argument turns violent

According to the police, the accused, 24-year-old Somala Vamshi, a technical executive from Andhra Pradesh residing in Nayandahalli, was editing videos around 1 a.m. when Babu asked him to turn off the lights. The request triggered a heated argument. Vamshi allegedly reacted by throwing chilli powder at Babu and then seized an iron dumbbell, striking him multiple times on the head, face and chest. Babu collapsed at the scene.

After the attack, Vamshi reportedly panicked. He walked to the police station at Govindarajanagar and surrendered soon after. Meanwhile, colleagues called for medical assistance and an ambulance transported Babu to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police officials say a murder case has been registered and Vamshi has been sent to judicial custody.

Investigation underway

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Girish S. confirmed the dispute over lighting as the immediate trigger for the killing. Investigations are ongoing to reconstruct the events leading up to the violence and determine possible motive, workplace dynamics and whether any prior disagreements existed between the men.

The firm, based in a rented office catering to film-shoot and video-editing clients, operated late into the night. Babu’s sensitivity to bright lights had reportedly caused repeated requests to switch them off during after-hours work. The office location, in Saraswathinagar near Nayandahalli, placing it in the jurisdiction of Govindarajanagar police limits, meant the station responded swiftly to the incident.

Community and family impact

Babu’s death has shocked colleagues and the neighbourhood. He was a manager handling the digital vault and editing firm and had been working at the location in Bengaluru, away from his home in Chitradurga. The victim’s family has yet to issue a statement. The accused, a younger colleague, now faces murder charges, and legal proceedings will examine the extent to which a seemingly minor workplace dispute spiralled into lethal violence.

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