Two days after the dismembered body of a 29-year-old woman was discovered inside a refrigerator at her rented house in Bengaluru, the police have made a breakthrough in the case. Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda on Monday, September 23 said that they have identified the prime suspect and are working to apprehend him.

“The case is being investigated from all angles. The prime suspect has been identified and efforts are underway to arrest him. He hails from another state, but is staying in Bengaluru. We can’t give more information as of now as it may help the accused,” the Commissioner told the media.

The victim, identified as Mahalakshmi, was found in an apartment complex in Vyalikaval, near Veeranna Bhavan in Malleswaram, on Saturday, September 21. Her body was chopped into 28 pieces and stored in a fridge. The crime came to light when the victim’s estranged husband Hemant Das found the body. 

The gruesome discovery was made after persistent stench flowed in the building prompting the owner of the building, Jayaram, to enter Mahalakshmi’s locked apartment.

Mahalakshmi, originally from Nelamangala on Bengaluru's outskirts, had moved to Vyalikaval following a marital dispute with Hemant. The couple shared a four-year-old child.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said that the police have gathered significant information but further details could not be shared. “The police have collected a lot of information, a lot of clues. One individual has also been...kind of they say he is the one. Unless we collect more information we can't really say,” he said.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has directed the Karnataka Police to expedite the arrest of all individuals involved in the crime, and called for a thorough, time-bound investigation. The NCW has requested a detailed report within three days.