Bengaluru fridge horror: Police say suspect hiding in West Bengal, search on

According to Bengaluru police, a team has been dispatched to apprehend the suspect.

Days after the body of 29-year-old Mahalakshmi was found in a fridge in Bengaluru on Saturday, police suspect that the perpetrator may be hiding in West Bengal, Times of India reported.

Bengaluru: Police and locals near the crime scene after a woman was allegedly murdered in Malleswaram. (PTI)

The report also indicates that the Bengaluru Police have ruled out any involvement from her husband and identified the suspect as one of the woman's friends. Police sources further informed TOI that the suspect confessed to a family member that he killed Mahalakshmi. According to the police, a team has been dispatched to apprehend the suspect, the report added.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda said, "The prime suspect has been identified and efforts are underway to arrest him. He's an outsider. We can't give more information as of now as it may help the accused".

On Sunday, the police said that they have detained and questioned multiple suspects and formed eight special teams to probe the brutal murder of a 29-year-old woman.

What did the Home Minister say?

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara informed ANI that the suspect is believed to be from West Bengal and that the police have collected substantial information and clues related to the case. However, he noted that more details are needed before reaching any conclusions. Parameshwara also said that the government has implemented several measures to ensure women's safety in Bengaluru, underscoring its commitment to addressing this issue.

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Preliminary findings

Preliminary findings suggest that the killer may have dismembered the victim’s body to facilitate disposal and evade detection. Police are currently analyzing CCTV footage and Mahalakshmi’s phone records to trace the events leading up to her death.

The victim had been living there alone for around five months after separation from her husband, Hemant Das, who lived with their daughter.

While Mahalakshmi lived in Malleswaram and was working in a mall, her husband worked in a hermitage away from the city, PTI reported. After learning about the incident, he too came to the spot.

The incident was a stark reminder of the brutal murder of Shraddha Walker by her live-in partner Aftab Poonawalla on May 18, 2022 at Mehrauli in Delhi.

Twenty-eight-year-old Poonawala allegedly strangled Walkar and sawed her body into 35 pieces which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence before dumping them across the city.