Pratima's husband had gone to his native place when the incident took place.
A woman officer working with the Karnataka government was murdered at her home in Bengaluru on Saturday night, police said. The victim, Pratima, serving as the Deputy Director in the Mines and Geology Department of Karnataka, was found stabbed to death at her residence in Subramanyapora.
The 45-year-old Pratima's driver dropped her off at her home after work, where she had lived for over eight years. She was reportedly murdered around 8:30 pm, while her husband and son were away in Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district.
Pratima's brother arrived at her home early Sunday morning and found her dead. He had called her the night before, but she had not answered. He immediately contacted the police.
"As usual, around 8 pm on Saturday, Pratima returned home. As she did not respond to phone calls the previous night and this morning, her elder brother came to her house to check when he found out about her murder and informed the police," DCP, South Division, Bengaluru City, Rahul Kumar Shahapurwad said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
"Forensic and technical teams are at work on the spot. Three teams have been formed for investigation. We will be able to share further information, once we get to know exactly what happened," he added.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said there will be a strict investigation into the murder and those responsible will be brought to justice.
"I just got to know about it. We will inquire into it. It seems that she was staying alone (in Bengaluru), while her husband was in his native village. The reason is not yet known, we will inquire into it," he said.
The police have registered a case and are investigating all leads, including the possibility of a known attacker.