Bengaluru techie who stuffed wife’s body in suitcase remanded to 14-day judicial custody: Report

Investigators suspect that Gouri may have been alive when she was placed in the suitcase.

A man accused of brutally murdering his wife and stuffing her body inside a trolley suitcase was brought to Bengaluru from Maharashtra on Saturday night.

Rakesh allegedly killed his wife, Gouri Anil Sambrekar, 32, on the night of March 26 at their rented house in Doddakammanahalli. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The accused, Rakesh Rajendra Khedekar, 36, was produced before a magistrate and remanded to 14-day judicial custody, The Times of India reported.

Rakesh allegedly killed his wife, Gouri Anil Sambrekar, 32, on the night of March 26 at their rented house in Doddakammanahalli, near Hulimavu. The accused later attempted to flee to Maharashtra. Investigators suspect that he tried to transport his wife’s body in a suitcase but abandoned the plan after the handle broke, the report added. He then locked the house and drove toward Pune in his car.

On March 27, while in Shirwal, Maharashtra, Rakesh reportedly consumed a small quantity of phenyl and cockroach poison, possibly in an attempt to end his life. He was admitted to a hospital and remained under medical care until he was deemed fit for discharge on Saturday afternoon.

A team from Hulimavu police station, which had been stationed at the hospital, detained Rakesh upon his release. After producing him in a local court, the police obtained a transit warrant and flew him to Bengaluru. Rakesh has since been lodged in the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara.

Police sources told the publication that they will seek his police custody on Tuesday, as security arrangements for the Ramzan festival are currently a priority.

Probe findings

During initial questioning, Rakesh reportedly claimed that he killed Gouri because she was "dominating" and frequently argued with him. He alleged that she attacked him first with a knife, prompting him to retaliate and stab her. However, the police remain skeptical about his version of events.

Investigators suspect that Gouri may have been alive when she was placed in the suitcase. Authorities are also looking into the role of Rakesh’s father, Rajendra Khedekar, who was reportedly the first person informed about the crime.