A 35-year-old Indian Navy employee was on Monday arrested for allegedly murdering a 31-year-old woman, dismembering her body, storing the parts of her torso in the refrigerator at his apartment and burning the rest to destroy evidence in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam, police said.
According to police, the incident took place on Sunday in Visakhapatnam's Gajuwaka area, and came to light on Monday morning when the accused surrendered.
The deceased, identified as Polipalli Mounika, is a bank employee in Visakhapatnam, while accused Chintada Ravindra works as a technician in the Indian Navy at INS Dega.
Gajuwaka assistant superintendent of police (ACP) V Srinivasa Rao told reporters that the two had been in contact since 2021 after meeting through a dating application. "The accused had continued the relationship with Mounika even after his marriage in 2024 and resumed contact when his wife went to her parental home for delivery a month ago. However, differences soon cropped up between the two following which Ravindra hatched a conspiracy to kill Mounika."
At around 12.30 pm on Sunday, Ravindra called Mounika to his apartment, where they reportedly had a heated argument and Ravindra allegedly murdered her by forcibly covering her nose and mouth, he added. "After killing her, Ravindra allegedly attempted to destroy all traces of the crime. He dismembered the body by severing the head, hands and legs with a knife. He wrapped some body parts in polythene bags and hid them in his refrigerator. He then packed the legs in a trolley bag and placed head and hands in another bag.
{{/usCountry}}At around 12.30 pm on Sunday, Ravindra called Mounika to his apartment, where they reportedly had a heated argument and Ravindra allegedly murdered her by forcibly covering her nose and mouth, he added. "After killing her, Ravindra allegedly attempted to destroy all traces of the crime. He dismembered the body by severing the head, hands and legs with a knife. He wrapped some body parts in polythene bags and hid them in his refrigerator. He then packed the legs in a trolley bag and placed head and hands in another bag.
{{/usCountry}}"Ravindra procured petrol in a plastic can and travelled to a deserted area near Darapalem, where he burnt the victim's head and hands to erase evidence," the ACP said, adding that the accused had also planned to dispose the remaining parts hidden in the refrigerator and suitcase as well, but was unable to decide how to get rid of them. "He eventually left them in the flat and surrendered before the Gajuwaka police inspector on Monday morning."
Based on the complaint lodged by the victim's father, police registered a case under sections 103(1) and 238(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). "The accused would be produced before the local court for judicial remand," the ACP said.