Was murdered woman in relationship with younger man?

BENGALURU:  The 29-year-old Mahalakshmi, who was found murdered and her body cut into 50 pieces and stacked in a fridge at Vinayakanagar in Vyalikaval area on Saturday, was originally from Bihar and had been living alone in a rented house for the last three months.

Mahalakshmi had separated from her husband and four-year-old son about six months ago due to marital disputes. She was working at a prestigious mall in Malleswaram. The gruesome murder was discovered when her relatives opened the door due to foul smell coming from the house.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the killer may have murdered Mahalakshmi and then chopped her body into over 50 pieces to dispose of it easily and so that he would get time to escape.

The post-mortem report is likely to reveal when the murder was committed. However, as the body was chopped and stacked in a fridge, determining the exact date and time of the crime is a challenge.

Usually, a post-mortem examination is conducted to determine the cause and time of death. But in this case, the killer has chopped the woman’s body into pieces, making it difficult to ascertain the exact time of the crime.

The police are analysing CCTV footage to determine the killer’s identity and motive. The police are questioning Mahalakshmi’s workplace colleagues to gather information about her last day at work, whether she had taken leave, and if she had mentioned anything unusual.

Additionally, investigators are analysing her phone records, including her last call, the tower dump data to track her movements.

This murder investigation has become a challenge for the police due to lack of clarity on the exact date and time of the crime. The police believe the killer kept it in the fridge to prevent decomposition and to delay detection. Majalakshmi’s husband Hemant Das, and their four-year-old son live in Nelamangala. In December 2023, they had a dispute, and a non-cognisable case was filed at the Nelamangala town police station. They lived together after police counselled them, but the couple later separated.

Hemant Das, a native of Nepal, suspected his wife Mahalakshmi of having an illicit relationship, leading to frequent quarrels between them. Hemant had warned Mahalakshmi about her friendship with a young man from another community.

Mahalakshmi had been living separately in Bengaluru after leaving husband, while Hemant was living in Lohat Nagar in Nelamangala.The preliminary investigation revealed that Hemant had a mobile shop business in Nelamangala.

Police discovered that she was in constant touch with the young man, who would often pick her up and drop her off. Blood was found splattered around the fridge and the remaining flesh had decomposed.The police and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) experts are collecting evidence, including samples from the crime scene

The investigation is ongoing, with suspicion on the young man who was in contact with Mahalakshmi. Police are looking for the accused.