Bengaluru: A 30-year-old woman and her 4-year-old son were burnt alive after their car caught fire in the basement of Sumadhura Anandam Apartment in Whitefield on Friday. Forensic experts have gathered evidence from the car, but the exact cause of the fire is yet to be established.

The deceased are Neha Verma, wife of Rajesh Ghatnatti, and their son Param. The couple are natives of Belagavi and were settled in the city since eight years. Rajesh runs his own software firm on Old Airport road. Param used to attend a playhome in Bellandur.

A senior police officer said Neha and her son returned home around 3.30pm and she parked her Maruti Ritz car in the basement. When they were about to get off, the car suddenly caught fire and exploded. The duo were burnt alive inside the car before residents could alert the Fire and Emergency Services.

Kamal, one of the residents who noticed the fire, alerted the fire services and a team managed to douse the fire. Residents of the apartment complex and security guards too tried to douse the fire, but could not do much as the fuel tank exploded due to heat.

The car (KA 53 P 644) was purchased in 2009. Rajesh was at his office located in Diamond District near Domlur and residents of the apartment complex informed him that his vehicle had caught fire. He rushed to the spot and identified his family before the police. Rajesh’s mother was in flat-611 located on the 6th floor and she was not aware of the incident till Rajesh reached home,” a police officer added.