BENGALURU: In a chilling case, police have launched an investigation into the brutal murder of a young woman whose dismembered body was found stored inside a refrigerator in her apartment in Vyalikaval, Bengaluru. The victim, identified as Mahalakshmi, a native of Bihar, was allegedly murdered by a colleague named Mukti, who is now on the run.

According to police, Mukti reportedly had issues with Mahalakshmi speaking to other men, and investigators are probing whether jealousy was the motive behind the heinous crime. Mukti’s phone has been switched off and authorities believe he may be hiding near the Odisha-West Bengal border. A manhunt has been launched to track him down.

Yesterday, Mahalakshmi’s husband, Hemant Das, told the national media that his wife was involved in an extramarital affair and was murdered by her lover. However, police are focusing on the colleague as a prime suspect.

The case came to light after neighbors in the apartment complex complained of a foul stench emanating from Mahalakshmi's apartment for several days. Initially, locals assumed it was garbage but when the smell persisted, the building's owner, who resides on the ground floor, was alerted. The owner contacted Mahalakshmi's mother and sister, who live nearby. Together, they searched the apartment and made the gruesome discovery of her dismembered body in the refrigerator.

Mahalakshmi was last seen at work on September 1, and her mobile phone has been switched off since September 2. Police suspect that the murder took place on that day. Her body was found on September 21. An autopsy revealed that her remains had been cut into 59 pieces.