Bengaluru fridge horror: Mahalakshmi murder suspect dies by suicide in Odisha

Mahalakshmi murder case is a stark reminder of the brutal murder of Shraddha Walker (27) by her live-in partner Aftab in Delhi in 2022.

The prime suspect in the brutal murder of 29-year-old Mahalakshmi, whose dismembered body was discovered in a refrigerator at her Bengaluru residence, has died by suicide in Odisha, police said on Wednesday.

Mahalakshmi's body, cut into over 30 pieces, was stuffed in a refrigerator, the police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central Bengaluru, Shekar H Tekkannavar, announced that the accused, Mukthirajan Pratap Roy, took his own life while being pursued by law enforcement.

Earlier in the day, Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara stated that police had information about the suspect's presence in Odisha and had dispatched multiple teams to apprehend him.

"We have taken the case very seriously, as the murder had shaken the entire Bengaluru," Parameshwara told reporters.

He added that the police had identified Roy as the main suspect and had been actively tracking his movements as he fled across various locations in Odisha.

Mahalakshmi’s murder, discovered on Saturday, shocked the city, drawing parallels with the infamous Shraddha Walkar case from Delhi in 2022, where the victim was also dismembered and her body stored in a refrigerator. Mahalakshmi's maggot-infested body was found by her mother and sister at her home in Vyalikaval, cut into several pieces and concealed in the fridge.

Speaking to the press earlier, Parameshwara confirmed that multiple individuals had been taken into custody for questioning, but Roy emerged as the primary suspect based on available evidence. "After securing him, we would have been able to gather more information," the minister had said. The victim’s estranged husband had also raised suspicions about a man known to Mahalakshmi, who lived nearby and was believed to have had close contact with her.

Addressing concerns about women’s safety in Bengaluru, Parameshwara noted that several precautions were already in place, including the Nirbhaya programme and the installation of CCTV cameras.

"We are very careful and take many precautions, but we need to put in more effort to ensure women’s safety," he said, assuring that further measures would be taken.