As police probe into the murder of Bengaluru woman progresses, the estranged husband of the victim Mahalakshmi has claimed her lover, a man from Uttarakhand, may killed her. Hemant Das, who separated from Mahalakshmi a year ago, said she had a relationship with Ashraf from Uttarakhand, who was working in a salon in Nelamangala.
The remains of 29-year-old Mahalakshmi were found inside Vyalikaval apartment on Saturday. Her family found her body chopped up into 50 parts inside a refrigerator.
Das said he had been living separately from Mahalakshmi since last December after she filed a domestic abuse complaint against him, reported The New Indian Express. The duo were married for six years and share a daughter, who lived with Das.
He added that he last saw Mahalakshmi 25 days ago when she came to meet their daughter.
Das added that she had been in a relationship with Ashraf since then but the affair soured recently, following which Mahalakshmi filed a blackmail complaint against Ashraf at the Seshadripuram police station a few months ago. Mahalakshmi’s younger brother said she was last seen on WhatsApp on September 4.
Also read: Mahalakshmi avoided neighbours, picked up and dropped by unidentified man
The police team investigating the murder has cleared Das from the suspect list.
Though Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda on Monday claimed the police have identified the prime suspect in the case, they have not yet revealed the identity of the suspect, calling him just "an outsider."
Both the police and the Karnataka Home Minister claim the suspect is from West Bengal.
"Already some information has been collected, which I cannot reveal now...but we will soon nab those involved in it...an individual-- they say is the one (involved), but unless we have more information, we can't really confirm. He is from West Bengal, they say. As early as possible we will secure (those involved)," Parameshwara told reporters.
The incident came to light after the owner of the building informed the victim's mother of the foul smell emanating from the building. When Mahalakshmi's mother Meena Rana arrived at the home, she found the body inside the fridge.