The dismembered body of a 29-year-old woman was discovered stored in a refrigerator in Bengaluru on Thursday, officials said.
The gruesome discovery was made near Veerana Bhavan in Vyalikaval area.
Authorities have identified the victim as Mahalakshmi, though details surrounding the incident remain unclear.
The incident came to light after neighbours reported a foul smell emanating from the apartment, according to reports. Concerned, they alerted the police, who then made the chilling discovery.
The police first found the refrigerator, a 165-litre single-door unit, switched on and running. Maggots had infested the body, indicating it had been stored for some time.
A dog squad, a fingerprint team, and experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) reached the crime scene to gather evidence.
Additional Commissioner of Police (West Zone) N Satheesh Kumar said, "A woman's body was found chopped into pieces and stored in a fridge at a house within the Vyalikaval police station limits. It appeared to have been done 4-5 days ago."
"The body has been identified. The probe is going on. We will give more information after the investigation. She was settled in Karnataka but is originally from another state," Kumar told reporters.
Shekar H Tekkannavar, Deputy Commissioner of Police for Central Bengaluru, said a case has been registered and a full investigation is underway.
It is learnt that the woman was living separately from her husband.
While Mahalakshmi lived in Malleswaram and was working in a mall, her husband worked in a hermitage away from the city. After learning about the incident, he too came to the spot.
At this stage, no further information regarding the motive or potential suspects has been released by the police.
This case draws disturbing parallels to the 2022 murder of 27-year-old Shraddha Walkar in Delhi, where she was killed by her boyfriend and her body was chopped into 35 pieces.
Source: ANI