Mahalakshmi Murder Case:
The dismembered body of 29-year-old Mahalakshmi was found inside a fridge in Bengaluru. A truly terrifying scene. Now the police have a lead on the killer. According to police, the killer confessed to his brother before fleeing Bengaluru. Police teams have been dispatched to West Bengal and Odisha to capture the killer. The postmortem report revealed that the body was cut into not just 40 pieces but more than that.
Not 40 but 59 Body Parts
Bengaluru's Bowring Hospital. It was here that the dismembered body of 29-year-old Mahalakshmi was brought for postmortem on 21st September. When parts of the body found in the fridge and room were counted, it was discovered that the killer had dismembered her into 59 pieces, not just 30 to 40. Yes, 59 pieces. The morgue staff was shocked to see so many pieces of a human body. Never before had the hospital received a body dismembered into so many parts.
Trolley Bag Found in Mahalakshmi's Room
Mahalakshmi lived on the first floor of a three-storey house in Bengaluru's Vyalikaval area. On 21st September, parts of her body were found scattered in the room and fridge. It's suspected that Mahalakshmi was killed about 19 days earlier. A trolley bag was also found in her room. Police sources believe the killer may have planned to dispose of the body parts in the bag but couldn't due to the crowded area.
Body Dismembered After Murder in Room
Investigating the room, police sources believe the murder and dismemberment happened there. It would have been difficult to move the body outside in pieces or to bring it into the room from outside. The crime scene examination suggested the room and bathroom were cleaned after the murder and dismemberment. The dismembered body parts were handed over to Mahalakshmi's family after the postmortem and she was cremated in Bengaluru.
Source: aajtak
Police Reaches Killer's Brother
The biggest question is, who is the killer and why did he kill Mahalakshmi? According to Bengaluru police sources, the killer has been identified. The killer's family lives in Mumbai. The police have reached the killer's brother, who revealed that after the murder, his brother confessed to killing Mahalakshmi.
Images of Killer Captured on CCTV
Besides the brother's testimony, police have received crucial evidence and leads from CCTV cameras. Some cameras were installed on the paths leading to and from Mahalakshmi's home in Vyalikaval. The killer was captured on these cameras. The Bengaluru Police Commissioner confirmed that the killer has been identified and police teams have been dispatched to various parts of the country to capture him.
Killer Hails from West Bengal
According to 'Aaj Tak', the killer is a hairdresser with a close relationship with Mahalakshmi. He hails from West Bengal and is currently hiding there after fleeing Bengaluru via Bhubaneswar. While 'Aaj Tak' knows the killer’s name, they have chosen not to reveal it to prevent alerting him.
Hemant Initially Blamed Ashraf
After Mahalakshmi's murder, her husband Hemant Das initially suspected his friend Ashraf. Ashraf, also a hairdresser from Uttarakhand, had a close relationship with Mahalakshmi. Hemant accused Ashraf of having an affair with Mahalakshmi, which led to their separation nine months ago.
Source: aajtak
Police Released Ashraf After Interrogation
Following Hemant’s statement, police found and interrogated Ashraf. His location, call details, and witness testimonies over the past 20 days cleared him of suspicion. Police concluded that Ashraf was not involved in Mahalakshmi’s murder. The real killer is currently hiding in Bengal.
Last Meeting with Family on August 19
Mahalakshmi’s family is originally from Nepal but has been living in Bengaluru for the past 35 years. Although living in the same city, Mahalakshmi was not very close to her mother, sister, or brother. After separating from her husband Hemant nine months ago, she chose to live alone in a rented house rather than with her family. Police were shocked that Mahalakshmi last met her family on August 19 during Rakhi.
Foul Smell from Room Revealed the Truth
Mahalakshmi’s phone was switched off on September 2. Despite this, her family did not attempt to check on her for the next 19 days until September 21, when a foul smell from her room prompted the landlord to call her mother. That’s when the truth about her room and fridge was uncovered. Karnataka’s Home Minister stated that the killer has been identified and the motive and other details will be revealed upon his arrest.
Source: aajtak
Body Parts in Fridge for 19 Days
The fridge from the room has been sent to a forensic lab for analysis. Mahalakshmi’s case bears a resemblance to the 2022 Shraddha case. After Mahalakshmi’s murder, her body parts remained in the fridge for 19 days. In Delhi, Shraddha was murdered on May 18, 2022, and the murder was revealed in November. Like in Shraddha’s case, the killer removed and disposed of body parts from the fridge over a month.
Case Resembles Shraddha Murder Case
Mahalakshmi was married but living separately from her husband. Shraddha lived with her partner Aftab without being married. Aftab suspected Shraddha of an affair, similar to Hemant’s suspicion about Mahalakshmi’s affair. Whether this suspicion led to Mahalakshmi’s murder or if there was another motive will be revealed when the killer is in police custody.
Unlike Aftab, the police have given a clean chit to Mahalakshmi’s husband Hemant Das. He was not the killer. The idea of dismembering a body and hiding it in a fridge was first noted in Shraddha’s case. Mahalakshmi’s body was treated similarly. The Shraddha case is currently in a Delhi court. Although it is a fast-track court, the case is yet to reach the testimony stage. The timeline for sentencing remains unknown.
