CCTV, mobile data, Manipur trail: How police cracked Chennai's torso-in-suitcase murder

CHENNAI: A day after an Assam man and his wife were brought to Guduvanchery in connection with the murder and dismemberment of a 38-year-old woman, police said the victim was killed after she refused to terminate her pregnancy and pressured the man to marry her.Hayathun Nisha, 38, a native of Odisha, was murdered at a rented house on Mosque Street, Guduvanchery, earlier this month. Her dismembered remains were subsequently transported in a suitcase aboard Tamil Nadu Express.Guduvanchery police, using CCTV footage, mobile phone data and other technical evidence, traced Manik Uddin Laskar, 22, of Assam, and his wife Bhagabati Majhi, of Odisha, at Kashimpur in Jiribam district of Manipur on Saturday. The couple was arrested and brought to Guduvanchery on Sunday for further investigation.The murder came to light on Aug 5, when the Tamil Nadu Express, which had departed Chennai Central for New Delhi on Aug 3, reached Agra Cantonment railway station. Railway police checked an unclaimed suitcase in a general compartment found the dismembered remains of a woman inside.As the train had originated in Chennai, investigators began examining CCTV footage from Chennai Central and other railway stations along the route. Footage showed a man and a woman carrying the suitcase, and police subsequently traced their movements to Guduvanchery.The investigation eventually led police to the rented house on Mosque Street, where Nisha had been staying. Police said additional body parts were recovered from a large cooking vessel in the house. Investigators began probing her relationship with Manik Uddin, and found that Nisha had become pregnant and had been pressing him to marry her.She had refused to terminate the pregnancy, leading to frequent disputes. Police suspect Manik Uddin and his wife then decided to kill Nisha. After the murder, her body was dismembered and some of the remains were packed into the suitcase, which was taken to Chennai Central and placed aboard the Tamil Nadu Express, investigators said.During interrogation, the couple told police that Nisha’s head was shaved after it was severed. They initially tried to fit the head into the suitcase but, when they were unable to do so, smashed it into smaller pieces before packing the remains inside, police said. Police suspect this was done to make identification difficult.Police are also coordinating with Agra railway police to trace the victim’s missing remains and establish whether all the body parts transported on the train have been recovered.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chennai | Silver Rate in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Petrol Price in Chennai | Diesel Price in Chennai | CNG Price in Chennai | LPG Price in ChennaiStay updated with the latest Chennai news. Download the TOI App.