Bengaluru: Suspect identified, say police after woman’s chopped body found in fridge
Police commissioner says the case is being investigated from all angles and all efforts are underway to arrest the prime suspect
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand on Monday (September 23) said that they have identified the prime suspect in Bengaluru's chilling murder, in which pieces of a woman's body were found in a fridge.
“It is being investigated from all angles. The prime suspect has been identified and efforts are underway to arrest him,” the city police chief told the media. “He's an outsider. We can't give more information as of now as it may help the accused,” he added.
Govt vows action
Earlier in the day, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said the police have collected a lot of information regarding the woman's death. “The police have gathered a lot of information, a lot of clues. One individual has also been... Unless we collect more information, we can’t really say,” he told reporters.
Responding to a media query on the state government's steps to enhance women's safety, the minister said, “We have already taken a lot of precautions for women's safety. We are very mindful about it.”
Victim stayed alone
Earlier, thirty-odd pieces of a woman's body were found in the fridge of her Bengaluru home on Saturday. The woman, Mahalakshmi, stayed alone in the single-bedroom house.
Senior police officer N Satheesh Kumar said Mahalakshmi originally hailed from another state but had been living in Karnataka. She worked in a mall, while her husband lives in another city.
When the police found the pieces of her body, they had decomposed and infested with worms. They suspect that she was murdered at least two weeks before the body parts were found.
Political slugfest
The incident has triggered a political slugfest, with the Opposition BJP targeting the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government.
“Under @INCKarnataka rule, appeasement policies have led to a complete collapse of law and order. The brutal murder of Mahalakshmi by Ashraf is a clear reminder that Kannadigas are no longer safe in this Hitler-led @siddaramaiah government," said the BJP's Karnataka unit in a post on X.