Bengaluru/Bhadrak: In a shocking turn of events, the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of 26-year-old Mahalaxmi, whose body was chopped into over 50 pieces and stored in a refrigerator in Bengaluru, was found dead by suicide in Odisha, police sources confirmed on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Mukthiranjan Roy, was a colleague of the victim and had reportedly fled Karnataka after the heinous crime came to light.
According to police, Mukthiranjan Roy’s body was discovered hanging from a tree in Pandi village in Bhadrak district, Odisha, under the Dushiri police station limits. Sources stated that the accused had been on the run and was traced to the village, where locals found his body.
“The suspected killer arrived at the village on Wednesday, and his body was discovered by residents the following day,” police said. Mukthiranjan had disappeared shortly after the murder, prompting the Karnataka Police to dispatch multiple teams to Odisha in pursuit of the accused.
The horrifying crime came to light in the Booyakapura region of Bengaluru last Saturday when neighbors reported a foul smell emanating from Mahalaxmi’s apartment. When her relatives, including her mother and sister, arrived, they were met with a horrifying scene — Mahalaxmi’s dismembered body stored in a refrigerator, which had already become infested with maggots.
Mahalaxmi, originally from Tripura, had been living alone in Bengaluru for the past five months and worked at a popular mall in the city. Investigators believe she was killed on either September 2 or September 3. Her body was cut into pieces using a sharp-edged weapon, such as a knife. Despite the refrigerator being operational, the advanced state of decomposition suggested that the body had been there for several days.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda revealed that Mukthiranjan Roy, who was the team leader at Mahalaxmi’s workplace, had stopped coming to work around September 1, the same day Mahalaxmi was last seen at her job. After the murder, Roy had been on the run, prompting a widespread manhunt.
“Karnataka Police had sent four teams to Odisha to track down the suspect. Our officers were close to apprehending him, but unfortunately, he was found dead before we could take him into custody,” Commissioner Dayananda said.
The investigation revealed that Mahalaxmi had been living alone in Bengaluru, though her brother had stayed with her for a short period. Residents described her as a reserved person who kept to herself and did not interact much with her neighbors. Mahalaxmi had been married and had a child but was living separately from her family.
The brutality of the murder has shocked the Bengaluru community, with many struggling to comprehend the nature of the crime. Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara acknowledged the complexity of the case, stating that police were working diligently to uncover all the details.
“Mahalaxmi’s death is a tragedy, and our police teams are committed to delivering justice. We will continue our investigation to ensure that all facts surrounding this case are uncovered,” Parameshwara said.