The key suspect in the horrifying murder of a woman in Karnataka's Bengaluru was found hanging from a tree in Odisha's Bhadrak district, police officials said.
The deceased man, 30-year-old Mukti Ranjan Ray, was a resident of Bhuinpur village under Dhusuri Police Station and the prime suspect in the woman's murder, said Bhadrak SP Varun Guntupalli.
The dismemebered body of a 29-year-old Mahalakshmi was found stuffed inside a refrigerator in Bengaluru's Malleswaram, sending chills down the nation's spine and reminding the nation of the 2022 Shraddha Walker case.
Bengaluru Shocker | The Case So Far
Police Find Body Parts Stuffed In Fridge
The victim's dismembered body parts were found inside the fridge in her apartment, which is located near Veeranna Bhavan in Vyalikaval.
On September 21 afternoon, Mahalakshmi's mother and her sister -- who stays in the same building -- came to her house as she was not answering any calls.
The two used a spare key that they had and opened the house, which was filled with a foul smell. They spotted blood and other bodily fluids flowing out of the fridge -- a 165-litre model -- and opened its door only to find Mahalakshmi's body parts stuffed inside.
Soon after, police were alerted and a team reached the spot, and secured the area to protect evidence.
The victim, who hails from Nepal, had been living separately from her husband, Hemant Das, who had been working at a mall in recent months.
The couple also have a four-year-old daughter who lived with Das. Once every two weeks Das -- who worked in Nelamangala in the city outskirts -- would bring their daughter to Mahalakshmi's house so that she can spend some time with the child, The New Indian Express reported.
On the basis of a complaint from Mahalakshmi's mother Meena Rana, police registered an FIR under registered under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Section 103(1).
Blood, Maggots At Crime Scene
Police said that when they opened the door, they could see maggots crawling on the floor which was sticky from the victim's blood dripping off the fridge's door.
"Legs were cut and placed on top of the refrigerator while remaining body parts were placed on the middle shelves. The head was placed at the bottom of the refrigerator," TNIE quoted the police as saying.
Police officials had to double mask to examine the crime scene as the stench was unbearable.
Husband Suspects Lover's Role
The victim's husband Hemant Das had suspected that his wife was having an illicit affair and suspected that her paramour was involved in her brutal murder.
Speaking to reporters, Das said he had seen Mahalakshmi around 25 days ago when she came to see their daughter in Nelamangala.
"We were married for six years and separated nine months ago due to differences. Mahalakshmi had filed a case against me at the Nelamangala police station in December over a dispute. After we separated, she stayed alone in Vyalikaval," the husband was cited by TNIE.
Das had been informed of the foul smell coming from Mahalakshmi's house by her landlord and he passed on this information to her mother who then went to check on her.
According to Das, the victim was in an illicit relationship with a man from Uttarakhand -- Ashraf -- who worked at a salon in Nelamangala. Suspecting Ashraf's role behind her murder, Das said that Mahalakshmi had even filed a blackmail complaint against the man a few months ago.
Suspect Identified
Two days after the body was discovered, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda had said that all possible angles in the case were being investigated, adding that the prime suspect had been identified and efforts were underway to arrest him.
"He's an outsider (not from Karnataka). I cannot reveal more details of the investigation," B Dayananda had told reporters.
Earlier, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had said that police teams have collected details of the crime and teams have been formed to conduct the probe.
"We are confident of nabbing the accused soon. We need to see if there was one person or two persons involved in the incident. We don't know about it as we speak," Parameshwara added. He further noted that the Congress-led Karnataka government has taken a lot of precautionary measures to ensure women's safety.
Suspect On The Run In Odisha
The suspect, who was identified by the Bengaluru police, was traced to be in Odisha and police teams had been sent to the city to nab him, state Home Minister G Parameshwara had said.
He said that once the suspect is caught, officials will be able to get more information. "Two-three persons were taken into custody, but based on the evidence and information available, there is a suspicion about the involvement of the person in Odisha," Parameshwara added.
Suspect Found Hanging In Odisha
As police were searching for the key suspect, Mukti Ranjan Ray, his body was found hanging in Odisha's Bhadrak district. The 30-year-old resident of Bhuinpur Village under Dhusuri Police Station was allegedly on the run since police found Mahalakshmi's dismembered body.
"We have recovered the body of Mukti Ranjan Ray hanging from a tree. The body was handed over to his family after conducting post-mortem examination," said Santanu Jena of Dhusuri Police Station IIC.
Meanwhile police said that they also recovered a body, believed to be of the suspect, in which he confessed to killing the woman in Bengaluru.
Bhadrak SP Varun Guntupalli said Ray had confessed in his diary that he had dismembered the body of the Bengaluru woman to 59 pieces after killing her.
Reportedly, police investigation has revealed that Ray was angered by the constant nagging from Mahalakshmi to marry her. He had decided to kill her as he had no intention of marrying her, TNIE said.
Both Mahalakshmi and Ray were not present at work on September 2, the day she is suspected to have been murdered. Police said that the duo's call detail record also matched.
"Ray was known to be short-tempered. Right from the alleged murderer's colleagues to his brother, each one confirmed that Ray was short-tempered and was capable of taking the decision to kill Mahalakshmi," a police officer was quoted as saying.
However, police said that Ray's death is a major setback for their investigation as the suspect can't be interrogated anymore.
Victim Died Of Stab Injuries On Her Chest, Stomach
The 29-year-old victim is said to have died of stab injuries on her chest and abdomen, The New Indian Express reported citing sources.
"She was allegedly fatally stabbed in her chest and abdoment, which claimed her life. It is not clear when she was murdered because the body parts were kept inside the fridge and were not decomposed. It is also difficult to say whether one or more person was involved in the murder and butchering of the body," sources were quoted.
Notably, the murder weapon is yet to be recovered by the police.
