'Body in advanced decomposition stage, stones in trunk': Woman found stuffed inside water tank in Bhopal; live-in-partner, his mother and siblings arrested

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A grisly discovery in Kamal Nagar’s Six Ghara area led to the arrest of four members of a family after police recovered a woman’s decomposed body from inside a trunk dumped in a water tank.

According to the Nishatpura Police, the woman has been identified and her live-in partner has been taken into custody along with his mother, brother and sister.

Investigators said the woman was allegedly murdered on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. Police suspect that after the killing, the accused kept the body inside his house for nearly a day. It was later placed inside a trunk and transported to a vacant plot nearly 200 metres away, where it was dumped into a water tank.

During the disposal, the accused is said to have slipped and then sought assistance from his family members, who allegedly helped him dispose of the body.

The crime surfaced on Thursday afternoon when a resident noticed a foul smell emanating from the tank and informed the police. A team from the station, along with forensic experts, reached the spot and retrieved the trunk from the tank, which is around 10 feet deep and partially filled with water. Local residents helped authorities empty the tank. A dead animal was also found inside.

Station House Officer Manoj Patwa said the body appeared to be three to four days old and in an advanced stage of decomposition at the time of recovery.

Police believe stones may have been placed inside the trunk. A case of murder has been registered and further investigation is underway to determine the exact sequence of events and gather forensic evidence.