The Mahalakshmi murder case has drawn chilling comparisons to the 2022 Shraddha Walker case in Delhi, where a live-in partner brutally killed and dismembered his girlfriend. In a tragic turn of events, the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of 29-year-old Mahalakshmi, whose body was found cut into over 30 pieces and stored in a refrigerator at her Bengaluru home, has died by suicide in Odisha, police reported on Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central Bengaluru, Shekar H. Tekkannavar, confirmed that the accused, Mukthirajan Pratap Roy, took his own life while being pursued by authorities.
Earlier in the day, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara had announced that police had traced the suspect’s movements to Odisha and had dispatched several teams to apprehend him. “We are taking this case very seriously, as the brutal nature of the crime has shaken the entire city of Bengaluru,” he told reporters.
Roy was identified as the main suspect in the case, and police had been tracking his movements across various locations in Odisha. Mahalakshmi’s dismembered and decomposing body was discovered by her mother and sister at her residence in Vyalikaval on Saturday, concealed in a refrigerator, shocking the community and drawing parallels with the infamous Shraddha Walker case in Delhi, where the victim’s body was similarly stored after being dismembered.
Minister Parameshwara also revealed that multiple individuals had been detained for questioning, but Roy quickly emerged as the primary suspect based on evidence. “Securing him would have provided more information on the crime,” the minister said. Mahalakshmi’s estranged husband had previously expressed suspicion about a man known to her, who lived nearby and was believed to be in close contact with her.
Addressing concerns over women’s safety in Bengaluru, Parameshwara mentioned that several measures, including the Nirbhaya programme and CCTV installations, are in place to protect residents. “We are taking several precautions, but we need to do more to ensure the safety of women,” he added, promising further efforts to improve security.
