In a chilling incident that mirrors the infamous Shraddha Walker murder in Delhi, a 29-year-old woman of Nepali origin, Mahalakshmi, was gruesomely murdered in Vyalikaval, Malleswara in Bengaluru. Her body was dismembered into over 50 pieces, with the killer storing the remains in a refrigerator. The grisly crime has left the local community in shock, as police and forensic teams work to unravel the details of this horrifying case.
The murder came to light after blood from the body parts began leaking from the fridge, eventually dripping onto the floor. Maggots were reportedly found around the area, adding to the gruesomeness of the scene. The police and forensic experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) arrived at the location and began the daunting task of removing the dismembered body parts from the fridge, piece by piece. Bowring Hospital staff were also called to assist in the recovery.
Mahalakshmi’s estranged husband, Hukum Singh Rana, who works at Basavanna Deva Math in Nelamangala, was summoned to the scene for questioning. The couple had been separated, with their four-year-old child living with the father. Hukum had been trying to contact Mahalakshmi for several days, but her phone had remained switched off. When he arrived at her apartment to check on her, he was greeted by the gruesome discovery of maggots coming from the refrigerator.
A 29-year-old woman was found murdered, her body cut into 30 pieces and stacked in a fridge, at #Vinayakanagar in #Vyalikaval area of #Bengaluru, on Saturday. Local residents informed the police after foul smell started coming out of the rented house.
The deceased woman body has… pic.twitter.com/FJHCbGFf2N
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) September 21, 2024
The police suspect that Mahalakshmi was murdered about 15-20 days ago, though the exact timeline remains unclear. The investigation has presented a significant challenge for law enforcement, as they attempt to determine how long ago the murder occurred. CCTV footage from the area has been seized, and investigators are meticulously reviewing it to trace the movements of any potential suspects.
Authorities are also investigating Mahalakshmi’s workplace and her interactions with colleagues in the days leading up to her murder. The police are verifying her last phone calls and analyzing tower dump data to gather clues. Mahalakshmi’s mother, Seema, who filed the initial complaint, was the first to discover the murder after neighbours alerted her to a foul odor emanating from the apartment. Upon entering the apartment, Seema was horrified by the sight of her daughter’s dismembered body.
Further complicating the investigation, it appears that the killer had carefully planned the murder and subsequent cover-up. By storing the body parts in the fridge, the perpetrator delayed the discovery of the crime. The fridge was left running, which helped suppress the odor, giving the killer ample time to escape. Only after the body began to decompose and the fridge started leaking blood, the neighbors noticed the foul smell, prompting them to notify Mahalakshmi’s mother.
Mahalakshmi had been living alone in Vyalikaval for the past 6-7 months, following her separation from her husband. She was employed at a mall and had a routine of being picked up and dropped off from her workplace. Her phone was last active on September 2, and investigators believe she may have been murdered around that time—nearly 19 days before the discovery of her body.
The police have cast suspicion on a person who had been in regular contact with Mahalakshmi before her death. Investigators are working to piece together her final interactions and movements. Her sister and other family members have also been questioned.
The condition of the body has made the investigation even more complex. The victim’s head was found at the bottom of the fridge, while her hands and feet were placed at the top, with the body positioned upside down. Initially, police estimated there were around 30 pieces of the body. However, upon further inspection, it was discovered that the number of dismembered parts exceeded 50, possibly even reaching 60.
After the removal of the body from the fridge, all pieces were meticulously counted by the police and FSL officials. The remains were subsequently sent to Bowring Hospital for a postmortem examination, which was conducted today.
As police continue their investigation, they have formed four teams to track down the perpetrator. The case has shocked the local community and raised safety concerns, while the police work diligently to uncover the truth behind Mahalakshmi’s brutal murder.
