In a chilling crime reminiscent of the Shraddha Walkar murder in Delhi, a 29-year-old woman, identified as H Mahalakshmi Das, was found brutally murdered in her Bengaluru apartment, her body dismembered into over 30 pieces and stuffed inside a refrigerator.
The grisly discovery was made by her mother and elder sister around 3:30 PM on Saturday after the building owner raised alarm over a foul smell coming from her home.
Mahalakshmi, an employee at a local mall, lived alone on the first floor of a building on Pipeline Road, Vyalikaval. The building owner, Jayaram, who resided on the ground floor, was alerted by a neighbor about a stench emanating from her apartment. Jayaram promptly informed Mahalakshmi’s family, who lived nearby, urging them to investigate.
Upon entering the apartment, the family found the front door bolted from the outside. Inside, they were greeted by insects and worms scattered across the floor, some crawling out from the 165-litre fridge.
The scene that followed was nothing short of horrific, as the women opened the fridge and discovered Mahalakshmi’s decomposed body parts. Both immediately lost consciousness due to the gruesome sight.
The local police were alerted by the building owner and arrived at the scene, donning masks to combat the overpowering stench. Investigators believe that Mahalakshmi may have been murdered on or after September 2, as her phone was switched off that day. They are currently analyzing her call records and trying to piece together what happened.
Authorities suspect that the killer was likely known to the victim, as there were no signs of a robbery or valuables being taken from the apartment.
"It is surprising that none of her family members tried to contact her for so long," an officer remarked, as they explore the possibility of multiple assailants.
Mahalakshmi’s family originally hails from Nepal and has been settled in Nelamangala for decades. Neighbors described her as a quiet woman who largely kept to herself.
A neighbor, shared that Mahalakshmi never mentioned her marriage, although her estranged husband and child live in Nelamangala. Other neighbors recalled seeing a man regularly pick her up in the morning and drop her home at night.
Her cousin Sunil, who lives in Koramangala, stated that Mahalakshmi rarely interacted with him or other family members. Despite this, the news of her brutal death has sent shockwaves through the community.
This case has drawn immediate comparisons to the 2022 Shraddha Walkar murder in Delhi, where the victim’s body was similarly dismembered and stored in a fridge.
The horrific nature of this crime has left Bengaluru residents and law enforcement on edge as the investigation continues.
The police are working to identify potential suspects and unravel the circumstances that led to this brutal crime.