The body of Mukti, believed to be the prime suspect in the Bengaluru case, has been found in a village in the Bhadrak district of Odisha.
The prime suspect, believed by Bengaluru Police to have killed Mahalakshmi and chopped her body into 59 pieces, has allegedly died by suicide in Odisha. He reportedly hung himself from a tree.
The body of 30-year-old Mukti Ranjan Ray, who was allegedly on the run, was found in a village under the jurisdiction of the Dhusuri Police Station in Bhadrak district, Odisha. Local police had informed Bengaluru police personnel, who were searching for the suspect in the area.
According to preliminary information, Ray visited his village on Tuesday and left thereafter. Later, his body was found on the outskirts of the village.
The family has identified the body, which has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Further investigations are pending to determine the details of the case.
Suicide Note Recovered
The police on Wednesday also recovered a diary, believed to be belonging to the deceased man Mukti Ranjan Ray, in which he confessed to killing the woman whose dismembered body was found in the fridge of her house in the southern metropolis, news agency PTI reported.
“The Odisha Police have already registered an unnatural death case. Based on the suicide note, the Bengaluru police have confirmed he is the accused in the gruesome murder case,” Kumar told the publication.
Earlier today, News18 reported that Bengaluru Police had identified Ray as the “main suspect” in the brutal killing of 29-year-old Mahalakshmi, who worked as a saleswoman.
According to a police source, Ray and Mahalakshmi were colleagues, and he had expressed discontent about her relationship with another man. However, the source did not disclose the identity of this individual.
Mahalakshmi last reported to work on September 1. Her family stated that her mobile phone had been turned off since September 2. Her maggot-infested body, chopped into several pieces and stuffed into the fridge, was found by her mother and elder sister at her Vyalikaval home on September 21.
Post-mortem report confirmed that Mahalakshmi’s body was chopped into 59 pieces. Samples of her intestine had been sent for a toxicology study to establish if she was poisoned before her death. Forensic teams were also examining the fingerprints found on the refrigerator.
Mahalakshmi had separated from her husband , Hemanth Das, and had been living apart for the past nine months. They shared a four-year-old daughter.
Her estranged husband had told the police that she was involved in an illicit relationship with another man.
(With inputs from agencies)
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