Bengaluru: Police in Indiranagar are on the hunt for a 22-year-old man accused of murdering his girlfriend, Maya Gogoi, a vlogger from Assam, in a service apartment on November 26. The suspect, identified as Aarav Hanoi, allegedly spent the night with her lifeless body before fleeing the scene.
Investigators said that Aarav and Maya had been in a relationship for six months. The couple had spent two days together in the apartment before the situation escalated into a brutal murder. CCTV footage captured Aarav leaving the apartment in a panic around 8.20 a.m. on Tuesday.
Police suspect the crime was premeditated. Aarav allegedly brought an old knife to the apartment and ordered a nylon string online shortly after checking in. While initial reports suggest he intended to dismember the body, he fled the scene instead, leaving Maya’s remains behind, said police.
After the murder, Aarav travelled to Majestic railway station and switched off his mobile phone to avoid detection. Authorities believe he may have escaped to Kerala. Two special teams, led by Indiranagar Police Station Inspector Sudarshan, have been formed to track him down. Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage along the route taken by the cab Aarav used to leave the crime scene.
Maya’s sister, who lives in HSR Layout, disclosed that Maya had messaged her before the tragedy, mentioning she would not be returning home due to an office party. “On Sunday, she messaged again saying she had a party and wouldn’t be coming home,” her sister said.
{{/usCountry}}Maya’s sister, who lives in HSR Layout, disclosed that Maya had messaged her before the tragedy, mentioning she would not be returning home due to an office party. “On Sunday, she messaged again saying she had a party and wouldn’t be coming home,” her sister said.
{{/usCountry}}A post-mortem examination of Maya’s body has been completed, and police are intensifying their search for Aarav.
“We are trying to unlock Maya’s mobile phone with the help of forensic experts,” a police officer involved in the investigation told HT. “We suspect the motive for the murder was a breakup initiated by Maya. The two had been in a relationship for six months. Aarav switched off his phone after committing the crime, and our teams are tracking him,” the officer added.
This case draws chilling parallels to a murder on September 22, when a 29-year-old Nepali-origin woman was killed by her lover, who dismembered her body into more than 30 pieces. The accused, a native of Odisha, later died by suicide in his village after fleeing the scene.