In a chilling case of crime that has left Bengaluru and the nation in horror, the dismembered body of 29-year-old Mahalakshmi was discovered inside a refrigerator at her rented apartment in Vyalikaval, Malleshwaram on 21 September 2024. Her body, which had been cut into more than 30 pieces, was found after her mother, Meena Rana, filed a missing complaint with the police.
Mahalakshmi, a team leader at a costume outlet in Malleshwaram, had been living separately from her husband, Hemant Das, due to ongoing domestic disputes.
The police have identified a suspect allegedly named Ashraf, believed to be from West Bengal, and efforts are underway to apprehend him. Karnataka’s Home Minister, G. Parameshwara, confirmed the investigation is progressing, stating that the police have collected crucial details but cannot share them publicly. The suspect is reportedly not from Karnataka, and authorities are confident of making an arrest soon.
Mahalakshmi had filed a complaint against her husband in February, accusing him of assault, while Hemant had also accused her of having an extramarital affair. The couple had been separated for nine months, with their daughter living with Hemant in Nelamangala. The police had previously registered a Non-Cognisable Report (NCR) concerning the domestic disputes between Mahalakshmi and her husband, Hemant Das, with family members attempting to mediate and resolve the issues.
On Sunday, 22 September 2024, Hemant shared that he and Mahalakshmi had been married for six years and had a daughter. He claimed that an extramarital affair triggered the couple’s separation Mahalakshmi allegedly had with a barber from Uttarakhand. “They both had an extra-marital affair, which led to the problem, and I discovered it somewhere in April-May last year. We were separated for the last nine months, and I do not know whether she was in contact with the man. He was also told not to meet her when she separated, but I did not know if he met her. For the first four months, my daughter stayed with her (Mahalakshmi), and later, she lived with me in Nelamangala,” Hemant said, as reported in Indian Express.
He also mentioned that Mahalakshmi visited Nelamangala about a month ago to see their daughter. “She was calm and did not talk much about her life,” he added.
Mahalakshmi’s brother recounted, “I visited her in July and stayed with her for a few days in another house. After I left, she rented a new place and started living there.” He also mentioned that they had planned to meet on 15 August 2024 to celebrate Independence Day together. Mahalakshmi’s brother mentioned that she had been unreachable since 4 September 2024.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, while addressing the media, confirmed that the prime suspect has been identified. However, the police are still determining whether more individuals were involved in the murder. Mahalakshmi’s body was handed over to her family following a post-mortem examination. Authorities have registered a case under Section 103 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as the investigation continues.
The case has drawn attention to concerns over women’s safety in Karnataka. Home Minister Parameshwara assured the public that the state is continuing efforts to ensure security through programs like Nirbhaya, with measures including increased CCTV installations.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to arrest the suspect and uncover further details behind the gruesome murder.
Shocking Revelation in Bengaluru Murder Case: A woman's Body was found chopped in 32 Pieces, Stored in Fridge.
As per @IndiaToday report, victim has been identified as Mahalaxmi. Her husband has alleged that she was involved in an extramarital affair with a man named Ashraf. pic.twitter.com/sfRpLpp8Ix
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) September 23, 2024
Reminder Of Shraddha Walkar Case
In November 2022, the nation woke up to a spine-chilling murder case of Shraddha Walkar by her live-in partner, Aftab. Aftab Ameen Poonawalla and Shraddha were living in Delhi’s Mehrauli area. Both of them worked together at a call centre in Mumbai. He got to her through a dating app. The two started dating and moved in to live together. Since Shraddha’s family disapproved of the relationship, the couple eloped to Delhi.
Aftab strangled the 26-year-old Shraddha on 18 May 2022, following a heated argument as she had asked him to marry her. He then dismembered her body with a sharp weapon into 35 pieces and bought a fridge to store them. He then threw the butchered body parts at 18 different locations in Delhi over the next 18 days. To avoid being caught, he reportedly left the house in the wee hours carrying 1-2 body parts in a plastic bag.
Since Shraddha did not communicate or update her social media accounts, her concerned father came to Delhi to check her flat, which was found locked. He then filed a missing person complaint with the Mumbai police and also told them about his daughter’s relationship with Aftab, whom he suspected to be behind her disappearance. Her last location was found to be in Delhi.
In a statement, the Delhi police said that the Mehrauli Police had solved the six-month-old case and arrested Aftab for killing Shraddha, chopping her into pieces and disposing of them. Ironically, Aftab, on his social media, had shared posts positioning him as a champion of women and gay rights.
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