Bengaluru: The key suspect in the heinous crime of a woman’s murder at her home, hacking up her body into parts and stuffing them into the fridge, where her terrified family discovered them, has been identified, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda said on Monday.
Addressing the media, he stated: “In connection with the murder case, we have received clear information on the accused who committed the crime.” The inquiry is underway to locate and apprehend the accused person.”
According to the city police chief, the accused is from a different state and lives in Bengaluru. He stated that once detained, he would be subjected to a full inquiry into the issue.
“We can’t provide more information as it might help the accused,” he added.
Meanwhile, police in Nelamangala have questioned Ashraf after the family and husband of the dead Mahalaxmi accused him, along with three others, of involvement in the case. However, he was released following questioning.
The deceased’s husband, Hemant Das, stated on Monday that the family is taking Mahalaxmi’s ashes to Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. “We are doing this to ensure Mahalaxmi’s soul rests in peace as she had a painful death,” he told reporters.
When asked about the suspect in the incident, he responded that they had no idea, and the police have not yet provided the family with any information in this regard.
The fridge was taken away from the deceased’s apartment by the Vyalikaval police, and an official stated that it would be delivered to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
Mahalaxmi, 26, a Tripura native who lived alone in this city, was murdered at her house, her body savagely hacked into 59 pieces and thrown into her fridge, where her horrified family found her fate last Saturday.
Preliminary findings indicated that the body had been cut into more than 30 parts. However, the post-mortem investigation revealed that the perpetrator had sliced her into 59 pieces.
The event was reported from Veeranna Bhavana near Pipeline Road, which is within the city’s Vyalikaval police station limits.
The event was reported from Veeranna Bhavana near Pipeline Road, which is within the city’s Vyalikaval police station limits.
The traumatic incident was uncovered when neighbours noticed a bad odour rising from the victim’s house for two days and notified her relatives. On Saturday, Mahalaxmi’s mother and sister arrived at her residence, entered, and discovered the horrifying situation, raising an alert.
When a police squad arrived at the location, they were astonished to find the victims’ body parts shoved into the 165-litre fridge. The refrigerator was operating, but the body was infested with maggots that were moving in and out. Luggage was also found near the refrigerator.
The police suspect that Mahalaxmi was murdered around the beginning of the month, and her body was cut into pieces by a sharp-edged weapon like a knife or a sword.
Mahalaxmi, who worked at a popular mall and used to leave in the morning and come back late at night, started living in this house five to six months ago. According to residents of the area, she lived alone and did not mingle much with her neighbours. For a few days, her brother had been staying with her.
The police have also found that she was married and had a son, but lived separately.
Special teams, comprising police personnel from the Vyalikaval, Sheshadripuram, and High Grounds police stations, were set up to probe the crime and started gathering suspicious persons’ details. All the persons who were in contact with the deceased woman were questioned, and inputs were collected from the family members.
As of September 2, Mahalaxmi’s mobile was switched off. Police have gathered information on who called her and messages sent to her. They have also collected CCTV footage of the neighbourhood and the movements of persons from her house. Police are also waiting for the post-mortem report.
A similar case was reported from New Delhi’s Chattarpur in 2022, where Shraddha Walkar, 27, was allegedly killed by her boyfriend and live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala, 29. The accused had dismembered her body into 35 pieces and put them into a big fridge before taking them out for disposal in the neighbouring forested area.
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–IANS
