BANGALORE: It was 19-year-old Syed Mubasirullah's greed for money and a desire to lead a flashy life that led to the murder of software engineer Manoj Kumar (24), say police officers who successfully cracked the case.

Syed, who comes from an economically backward family, worked as an attender at a software company on Bannerghatta Road, earning around Rs. 60 a day. After befriending a relatively rich Manoj, he hatched the plan to kill him and rob him of money and other valuables, the police told The Hindu on Saturday.

After bludgeoning Manoj to death at Shivanasamudra, Syed used the dead man's credit card to buy branded clothes at a mall here and to withdraw Rs. 18,000.

The two young men who allegedly assisted Syed in the crime, Mohammed Yasin and Adil Baig, are also from poor families. While one worked in a garage, the other was jobless.

But what baffles the police is how did Manoj, coming from a well-educated family and holding an M.Tech degree, get so intimate with Syed within a couple of months.

During investigation, the police have learnt that Manoj and Syed had quarrelled over a girl though this was definitely not the motive for the murder. Manoj had apparently befriended the girl in chat room on the Internet and had subsequently introduced her to Syed.

A jealous Syed had tried to woo her and to break off with Manoj only to be snubbed by her, leading to an argument between Manoj and Syed, the police said.

Meanwhile, Manoj's body, which was brought to Bangalore after autopsy at Shivanasamudra on Friday night, was cremated here on Saturday.

A senior police official said that there was no way they could have prevented the murder as they received a missing complaint only on Sunday while Manoj was killed the previous afternoon.

The murder was solved and the accused arrested by the diligence of Tilaknagar Inspector Abdul Sattar and Assistant Commissioner of Police (MICO Layout Sub-Division) M.B. Rajendra Prasad, the official said.

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