Police question suspects in Bengaluru woman's murder | Latest news from India

One of the arrested suspects is an employee of a nearby men's salon who was reportedly close to the victim, Mahalakshmi Das, who is originally from Nepal. Officials said they were also investigating the involvement of two other people – a man who frequently dropped off and picked up Mahalakshmi for work and a co-worker. The exact number of suspects is still unclear. The victim worked as a salesperson at a local mall.

Authorities suspect the murder took place several days before her body was discovered. “The body of a woman was found chopped into pieces and kept in a refrigerator. The murder probably took place four to five days before the body was found,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police N Satheesh Kumar, confirming that investigations were still underway.

Preliminary findings suggest that the killer may have dismembered the victim's body to dispose of it and avoid detection. However, it remains a challenge for investigators to determine the exact time and date of the crime because the body was found late and the condition of the remains has deteriorated.

Police are currently analysing CCTV footage and Mahalakshmi's phone records to trace the events that led to her death. “We are checking her call logs. The victim's phone was unavailable for days and neighbours mentioned that they had seen a man dropping her off frequently,” said an official who wished to remain anonymous.

Originally from Tikapur village in Kathmandu, Nepal, Mahalakshmi was living alone in a rented apartment in Bengaluru, where she had come five months ago after separating from her husband Hemant Das and their four-year-old son. Their relationship had been strained due to Mahalakshmi's alleged relations with another man.

Officials said the husband remains a prime suspect in the case.

The victim's mother, Meena Rana, filed the complaint. According to the complaint, Mahalakshmi called her parents on September 2 and said she would visit them soon. “After that, we had no contact with her,” Rana was quoted as saying in the complaint.

The family subsequently made several calls to Mahalakshmi, all of which went unanswered, increasing concerns about her safety.

The FIR states that Mahalakshmi's elder sister told her parents about a foul smell emanating from the victim's house around 7.30 pm on September 20. “A certain Jeevan Prakash, who lived in the same building, told her about it. We could not come to Bengaluru immediately at night,” the FIR states.

The next morning, the family, including the son, the eldest daughter Lakshmi and her husband Syed Imran, came to the house and found it locked from outside. The family then broke down the door.

When the family entered the house at around 12:30 p.m., they found it in complete disarray. Clothes, sandals and household items were scattered on the floor. “We noticed blood dripping from the refrigerator in the hallway,” her mother said. The body had been cut into about 30 pieces and kept in a refrigerator.