Bengaluru woman murdered, stored in fridge: Prime suspect found dead in Odisha

Bengaluru Fridge Murder: Prime Suspect Found Dead in Odisha (Representative Image)

Mukti Ranjan Roy, the prime suspect in the murder of a woman in Bengaluru whose body was found in a refrigerator chopped in more than 30 pieces, is believed to have committed suicide in a village in Odisha.

According to local sources, Roy had arrived at Pandi village in Odisha's Bhadrak district on Wednesday and reportedly stayed in his family home. He was last seen riding a two-wheeler in the village. Locals spotted his body hanging from a tree in the village on Thursday morning and alerted the authorities, reported NDTV. The news of Roy's death came days after Bengaluru Police called him the prime suspect in the murder of Mahalaxmi.

The dismembered body of the 26-year-old employee at a local mall was discovered in her Bengaluru apartment on Saturday in a decomposed state. Police suspect that Mahalaxmi was killed on September 2 or 3, but her body was not found until her family, alarmed by a foul smell coming from her flat, visited her home and made the discovery.

Mahalaxmi’s mother and sister, who live in Tripura, had rushed to Bengaluru after being informed by her neighbours about the smell. Investigations revealed that she had not reported to work since September 1. Her colleague Mukti Ranjan Roy too had stopped showing up at his job from the same day. This made him the prime suspect in the brutal murder.

While police have not revealed a clear motive behind the murder yet, Mahalaxmi’s personal life is under scrutiny. Estranged from her husband, Hemant Das, she was living on her own in Bengaluru. Hemant had earlier alleged that one of her friends from Uttarakhand may have been involved in her death, but no substantial evidence supports his claim.

Police zeroed in on Roy for his close relationship with Mahalaxmi. He was one of three close friends of the victim in the city. With his unexpected death, investigators are now left with more questions than answers. This gruesome murder has shocked the city, with many questioning what could have led to such a horrific crime.