Loved her, she wanted to trap me: Bengaluru murder accused confessed to mother

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, September 27, 2024: The suspect in the brutal killing of a woman, whose dismembered body was found in a refrigerator in Bengaluru, told his mother about the crime a day before dying by suicide. The accused, Mukti Ranjan Rai, told his mother that he loved Mahalakshmi, but she threatened to implicate him in a kidnapping case, Odisha police sources told India Today.

Rai was found hanging from a tree in Odisha’s Bhadrak district on September 25, four days after Mahalakshmi’s body was recovered from a flat in Bengaluru’s Vyalikaval. The body of Mahalakshmi was found chopped into 59 pieces and stuffed into a fridge. The 29-year-old was married but was staying separately from her husband.

Police sources said after killing Mahalakshmi, Rai went to his home in Odisha, after almost three years, and confessed to the crime before his mother. Rai cried bitterly before his mother and said he had killed Mahalakshmi. He also said that he spent a lot of money on Mahalakshmi, but her behaviour was not good towards him.

Rai also confessed to the crime in the purported suicide note that was found on the spot by Odisha police.

Bengaluru police said Mahalaxmi and Rai worked at a mall in Bengaluru and became friends. They then entered into a relationship. However, Mahalakshmi allegedly pressured Rai to marry her and the issue led to constant arguments between them.

"Mahalakshmi was allegedly pressuring Mukti Ranjan to marry her. Ranjan, who was short-tempered, killed Mahalakshmi and cut her body into pieces," police said.

According to the police, Mahalakshmi was murdered between September 2-3. Her body was found by her mother on September 21.